Neo No Armour Against Fate
by S.Hagen
Summary: BGC 2034 Continues the BGC story after the events of Scoop Chase. Enemies and friends, old and new, all coming together, and nothing will ever be the same when it is all over. Rating for mature subject matter.
1. Domino Effect 1

_When you look around you wonder  
Do you play to win  
Or are you just a bad loser?  
_-Pet Shop Boys 'Domino Dancing' 

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers 2034  
Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 1 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999;2005)

Please Note: This story was posted on RAAC in 1999/2000. I have not made any changes to the story, I just wanted to repost it in a slightly more accessible forum, and hopefully give more people a chance to read it.

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.  
-

**MegaTokyo, 4 hours after Largo's death (2033)**

D looked around at the lab, pulling plastic dust covers off various pieces of equipment.  
"Quite the set up Andrews-sensei," she said.

"It was meant to be," he told her.

"And you are showing it to me because?"

"He was insane."

"Yes, he was," she walked over to a waist high table and pulled the dust cover from the form it covered. "Where did you get this?"

"It was a prototype model. I completed the work. It is unfortunately not a match for the first."

"Not all that surprising is it, Andrews-sensei?"

Yoshiro bristled slightly at the insult but did not make an issue of it.

D looked down at the boomer lying on the table. She ran her fingers through its light, blue grey hair. When her fingers encountered the input cables she pulled them out. As she drew her hands away from the body the fingernails of one hand suddenly extended into five blades, each sharper than razors. With one hand she held the head of the inactive boomer-much like she was caressing it-while she drew her other hand back. She brought her fingers together, the blades forming into a spike. Abruptly she drove the spike into the left eye, though the eyelid, pushing down with all her strength.

It took her several minutes of work to completely destroy the boomer. Yoshiro watched, thinking back on the several months he had taken to complete the work. A work that was ultimately beyond him. He had done his best and now D was ripping it apart.

She finally finished, stepped back, wiping her finger nails clean on an unstained area of sheet the boomer had been lying on. "Let's plant the charges," she told Yoshiro as she put her hair in order.

-

D watched as the fire consumed more of the building. She had used plenty of explosives and incendiary charges and as a final touch had coated anything she really wanted destroyed with thermite paste. She doubted anyone would ever be able to put together what had really happened there.

That was the end of Largo.

"Now what?" Yoshiro asked.

"No we run and hide because Genom will begin to clean this mess up. You are on your own for a time Andrews-hakase. I wish you luck," she told him, then turned and walked away.

Yoshiro watched her go and wondered what he was going to do. He had given his fortunes over to Mason when it became clear that Katsuhito no longer needed him. When Mason had died his loyalties had quickly transferred to Largo. Now Largo was gone and there was no one to protect him.

-

**Paris, 1 week later**

The Café was one of many that lined the riverbank. Yoshiro sat at an outside table, waiting. As the smog was especially bad that day he wore a breather.

He had almost failed to make it out of MegaTokyo; a Genom clean up team had nearly caught him. Genom had moved fast and he had had few options. One possibility was to turn himself over to the huge corporation, to Quincy. He did not know if Quincy wanted him, however. It seemed too great a chance. He had instead sold himself once again.

"Doctor, I am glad you could make it," a tall man with café-au-lait skin said as he sat across from Yoshiro. It was hard to make out that much about his features due to the breather he wore. His name, Yoshiro knew, was Terrence Lecoix. "It has been a while, has it not?"

"Yes," Yoshiro said.

"A lot of people are looking for you Doctor."

"I know. I need help."

"Of course I'll help you Doctor. And in return you'll help us."

Yoshiro swallowed uncomfortably. "Of course," he said.

"Wonderful." Terrence got to his feet. "Come along Doctor. We have work to do."

Yoshiro got to his feet slowly. He nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe Doctor. Someplace safe. For now at least."

-

**MegaTokyo 2034, January 8th**

Priss sat in front of her dressing table backstage at Hot Legs. She held her guitar across her lap, tuning it.

The lacquered, black wood of the instrument shone in the soft light of the room. She tuned it, gently turning the keys, listening as she picked at the strings.

It was new-she had just picked it up several hours before-a New Years gift to herself. She could have continued to play her old guitar but it would have eventually fallen apart on her and repairing it had been out of the question. She had been told that to truly fix it would have required changing it. Priss could not have done that to an old friend.

As it was, she had retired it while it still had a few shows left in it, and had bought the new one.

Fender Stratocaster, by Genom.

That had surprised her, that the Zaibastu had taken over the venerable guitar company. She hoped her money went to making better instruments rather than boomer research.

Putting the pick in her mouth she played the opening rif to an old Beatles song, Revolution.

Been awhile, Priss thought, rubbing her fingers together, most of her calluses gone. How long had it been since she had done any serious playing. She slid the pick between the strings.

Perhaps she had been doing too much vocal work, letting her band handle the instrumental work. Time to change that.

Priss got too her feet, letting the guitar hang from the strap around her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror, smiling slightly as she straightened the blonde wig that had become a bit of a trademark. Reaching down she picked up a tube of lipstick, uncapped it, and used it to freshen up her makeup.

Turning, she left her dressing room and headed towards the stage.

She stopped when she noticed the rest of her band milling about in the wings, the sound of the clubs piped music came to her. Priss sneered at the piped music. Some clubs actually made it their venue. Not any club that Priss would willingly go to.

Contemplating her instrument Priss was suddenly bothered by its perfection. Her old guitar had been beat up, but it had had character. Could she truly play music with any meaning with such perfection? It would be like computer-generated music, perfect but no soul.

She moved up quickly to Takeshi-her drummer-and pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

"What?" He turned, surprised. "Thought you quit a while back?" he said to Priss who had taken a long drag on the cigarette.

"I did." Priss coughed a cloud of bluish smoke into his face. She placed the red-hot ember against the head of her guitar, burning away a little of the lacquer.

"What the hell?"

"Shut up." Priss took another drag then increased the length of the burn mark. Her old guitar had had plenty of them from her smoking days. Stick a cigarette into the strings at the head and forget about it. Next thing she knew it had burnt into the instrument. Character, Priss thought, looking down at the faint burn mark.

"What's that about?" Norio, guitar and backups, asked her.

"Just giving it a little character." Priss told him, handing Takeshi back his cigarette.

"Weird." Takeshi took a long drag, finishing it off. He dropped it to the ground, crushed it out under his boot.

"Hell of a way to treat an axe." Norio pulled his guitar a little closer to himself; as if he feared Priss might suddenly attack it.

"Just shut up and get ready," Priss told them, feeling a little angry. She felt as if they had somehow intruded on a personal moment.

At least Yuuko is not over here being a pain, but that might be stage fright, she thought. Yuuko Nishizaki, her new bassist, Priss had just hired her. Satoo, her old bassist, had let his new wife take over his life for him. Not enough money in it, he had told her-parroting the words of his wife-he could make the same teaching and work normal hours. Priss shook her head. It was so middle class.

The piped music suddenly ended; there was an expectant feeling from the audience. Priss smiled, feeling the tingle of excitement, so akin to sex, move though her. This was the first show of the year for her. It was something special.

The band moved out onto the darkened stage, to the audience they would appear as little more than shadow. Priss took her place at the centre of the stage and reached behind herself to activate the wireless links for her guitar and microphone. Expensive tech, an indulgence she had allowed herself after a job.

Then the stage lights came on, blinding her to her audience, giving her a sense of being alone, as if there was no one else but the other members of the band with her.

A smile spread across Priss' face. New axe, new bassist, what better way to baptise them both but with a bit of fire, a little challenge. It would keep the other members of the band on their toes.

She launched into a rif, playing it longer than she normally would. She had just toasted the play list. Let's see if they can keep up, Priss thought.

Surprising her a little, Yuuko was the first to come in, letting her base fill in the spaces left by Priss' guitar. Then Takeshi started pounding out the beat, Norio a note behind.

Perfect Priss thought, launching into song.

_"Bright lights hurt my eyes in the dark night.  
I try to run in the dark night.  
I feel you there in the dark night.  
There's a cold fear in the dark night."_

It was loud and fast and angry, just the way she had known it would be. It tore from her, slamming out into the audience, resonating within them.

Priss played for a few moments, letting the words, the emotions, sink in.

_"You kicked out the supports, you tore them apart,  
You broke all the rules when you broke my heart.  
Now revenge is mine and I'll drag you to hell,  
Listen closely, hear the tolling of your doom bell."_

She gave Norio his solo, taking a quick break, catching her breath. Who is it I hate? Priss wondered. Who had she written the song for? She could never be sure. So many people who had hurt her in one way or another.

_"I'm running in the dark night.  
I'm searching in the dark night.  
I'm living in the dark night.  
I'm killing in the dark night."_

_"I twist the accelerator and I feel I could fly,  
A powerful motor throbs between my thighs.  
The flame of my hatred burns with a light white hot,  
Run all you want, the hunts all I got."_

Priss wiped the sweat from her forehead with the bandanna wrapped around her wrist.

_"There's no pity in the dark night.  
There's no caring in the dark night.  
There's no redemption in the dark night  
There's no love in the dark night."_

_"A thorn of steel hone as sharp as light,  
You've avoided me but you can't avoid this fight.  
I'll see your blood and I'll feel you die,  
I'll understand you in death as I scream at the sky."_

Norio went through several of his effect pedals as Priss got ready to end it.

_"I can't see in the dark night.  
I've lost my way in the dark night  
I've lost my heart to the dark night.  
I fear for my soul in the dark night."_

The music stopped suddenly, Priss stared out over her silent audience, barely able to see them with the lights in her eyes. Not quite sure about that one are you? Priss thought, smiling.

She did not give them time to make a decision but launched into 'Rock Me'.

-

Linna sat at her desk, staring at the computer screen that lit the dark room. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her eyes. Reaching across her desk she clicked her desk lamp on and closed her eyes against the momentarily painful light.

After a moment she opened her eyes and reached down to the laser printer, removing several of the freshly printed pages. She read through them slowly and began to shake her head. Finally she tossed them to the floor and pushed a hand through her short, black hair, pulling her headband free and flinging it across the room. She combed her fingers though her hair, throwing it into disarray then threw herself back in the chair.

She just could not get the right feeling. It was her life and she could not even write a simple letter about it. All she had wanted to do was dance-it had been her life's dream-and she couldn't even write a simple letter.

She did not have much time left to her. She would have to drop it off at Kikuchi-sensei's office tomorrow or she would miss the deadline.

Was that all it came down to? she wondered, staring at the computer screen. Just a few simple facts? There was no passion to any of it.

Maybe she should talk to Priss. She understood how to write with passion.

Dance.

It had been so important to her at one point.

She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a photo album. She flipped it open, looking at the pictures there.

The four-year-old girl who had danced so clumsily in that recital but had never really known or cared.

The same girl, two years later, long hair in braids, moving gracefully through the traditional dances. Two years had made such a difference.

There were her parents, looking so proud, she had been eight at that time, it had been a more modern piece, a lot more active.

At ten she had been in a semi-professional musical, nothing special but it had received a few nice reviews. One of them was in the album, beside a picture of her with her parents.

There were more, her dance career laid out in the photographs. At one point she had also had a record on discs, but they had been destroyed in the Second Kanto quake.

She flipped through the pages, looking at the pictures.

There was a newspaper article, large print, meant to attract attention. One of the first times the AD Police had been sent out to deal with problem boomers.

Give a bunch of people, who at best had SWAT training, most who didn't have even that, automatic and heavy weapons and then let them loose.

Civilian casualties had been almost guaranteed. Linna shook her head. Next to the article were two obituaries, her parents. As much as she would have liked to hate the AD Police she could not. Most of the officers from that long off night had died, torn apart by the boomers they had tried to combat.

Too many people had died. She was not the only one who had suffered that night, and other nights like it.

After that she had found her dancing a safe retreat for a time, letting herself forget the sorrow. It had stopped being so after a while, she no longer needed a place to forget. The pain had faded, time had worked its healing.

She continued to flip through the album, thinking that she should scan all the photos onto disc, like she always did.

More pictures, high school productions, a few more of the semi-professional works she had been in. Then the pictures ended, like her career.

She still remembered that day clearly. The hurt that her failure had caused. The rejection, the feeling of uselessness.

It was not the first audition in which she had failed to be picked but it was the first in a while and it was one that she had pinned a lot of her hopes on.

That was the day she had met Sylia. Tall, glamorous, beautiful, back lit by the lights, for a moment appearing greater than anyone could be.

"There is more to life than stages you know," she had said. "There is so much more you can do. People you can help. Are you interested?"

Linna stared at the last picture she had put in the album. Her and the other girls from that audition, all of them looking hopeful.

She almost wished she could blame Sylia for the fact her hopes had ended that day. Blame her for taking it away from her, but she couldn't, not really.

The Knight Sabers had not taken over her life; she had had plenty of time to pursue her dreams. She had chosen not to, hiding behind the lie that what she was doing was more important, that she should devote her full attention to it.

Linna picked up a sheet of paper from the desk, reading it over once again. The letter had been sent to her by Tomomi Yokoma, a friend from that very audition.

Tomomi had succeeded, had gone on to have a relatively successful career. She had sent a few other letters to Linna, ones which Linna had politely responded to but had not thought much about.

Now she was providing Linna with a possibility to get back on track.

Andrea Kikuchi, a rather famous woman in dance circles, was looking for new dancers for her troupe. All Linna had to do was write a letter, telling Kikuchi-sensei why she should be given a chance to audition, as well as a list of her previous work.

Linna flipped through the album again, remembering all that she had felt, remembering how she had told her parents she would be a world famous dancer one day, remembering what it was like, out on the stage.

She turned her attention to the keyboard and began to type, all of the passion she felt flowing out of her, through the keys, onto the screen.

-

Nene stopped at the red lights, putting her foot down to hold the scooter upright. The roads were damp and the temperature hovering near zero. She had good tires and the ride was not so bad. Still, it was one of those times where she would have preferred a car.

She brought her hand up in an attempt to cover her mouth as she yawned, but it was stopped by the clear, impact-resistant plastic of her helmet. Shaking her head slightly she returned her hand to the handlebars of her scooter and waited for the light to change.

It had been a long night; she had ended up pulling a double shift.

Damn 'Prometheus Bound' she thought. The city did not need someone new making trouble. The situation had been contained by the time she had been allowed to go. At least the AD Police had been able to handle it.

She had called Sylia as soon as it started but Sylia had seen no need to intervene, agreeing with Nene that the AD Police were up to handling the conflict. It was not even boomer related. Not really.

Nene picked her foot up as the light changed, twisting the accelerator, shooting through the intersection. There was a whine as the engine brought the scooter up to speed.

Priss had told her once that the scooter had an engine only a sewing machine could envy. Priss had also suggested she get a real bike, telling Nene that the scooter was just too embarrassing. Nene had responded with the standard polite, yet noncommittal comments.

The fact was she didn't want a motorcycle; the scooter suited her just fine. It was one thing to ride a motorcycle while you were wearing a hardsuit, but with just a leather jacket and some plastic between you and the road at those speeds? She didn't even like to think about it.

There was also the fact that she considered the scooter more civilised. One straddled a motorcycle, you sat on a scooter. Of course there were times when she admitted to herself that motorcycles were really cool.

She continued on, soon reaching one of the city's more affluent suburbs. Shortly after entering the area she brought the scooter to a halt near a pleasant-looking, two-level house.

Strange, Nene thought, to be living with her parents again.

She remembered when she had first contacted her parents, nearly a year after she had run away. Double blind e-mail, using a few tricks she had learned to ensure her father didn't trace it back to her.

It had been just to get over the guilt at first, just to let them know she was all right.

They had often asked where she was, Nene had never answered, simply telling them she was all right and not to worry.

Then one night, after the wine had flowed a bit too freely, and their spirits a bit too high after a battle, Nene had been complaining to Sylia about it. She had not really expected an answer, it was just rhetorical bitching.

She still remembered Sylia sipping at her wine, the voices of Priss and Linna drifting from the other room as they teased Mackie for some reason, a cool breeze coming through the open windows, carrying the faint sounds and scent of the city.

"Often I wish I could still talk to my parents," Sylia had said quietly, perhaps she had not even expected Nene to hear it. Then she had put her empty wineglass down and headed up to her computer room.

It was soon after Nene had given her parents her phone number and address.

It had not been as nearly as bad as she had expected, in fact it had been nice, knowing they were there, checking up on her, even if it was only by phone.

Then they had moved to MegaTokyo.

Nene had been ready to run, sure she could stay with Sylia while she looked for a new place to live. Then she had calmed down and done some checking. Her father had tentatively accepted the new job in Tokyo before she had told them where she was, though it might have been a lucky guess on their part.

And her mother had been offered a rather nice position in one of the more prestigious private clinics in the city.

Her presence might have been an extra reason for them moving to the city but it was not the only one.

Soon after they had begun to suggest she move in with them. After all, why pay rent money when she could live at home for free? Telling them money was no problem would have been one possibility but that would have led to some rather complex explanations.

That she found the idea somewhat appealing had been another factor.

Starting the scooter again she pulled into the driveway of the house, noting her father's car was not in the driveway. He had a lot of work to do with the new company and it would be a while before he could stop working the long hours.

She put the scooter beside the house, making sure there was enough room for the cars to get in or out. After shutting the engine off she toed the kick stand down and got off the vehicle. After pulling her helmet off, Nene locked it to the scooter.

Reaching down she opened a small compartment under the handlebars and removed her purse. She pushed the hatch closed and straightened up.

She walked around to the front of the house, separating out her house key from all the others on the key ring. Sliding the key into the lock she turned it, pulling the door open.

"Tadaima(I'm home)," she called, pulling the door closed. Reaching behind herself she locked it again.

Nene slipped out of her shoes then stepped up into the house. Bending down she neatly arranged her shoes then opened the cabinet by the door, removing her slippers. From the living room she heard the sound of the television, listening a bit more closely she realised it was news report, covering the terrorist situation that had been winding down when she had left. Obviously things had not been wound up.

Putting on the slippers she headed into the living room.

Her mother was sitting on the couch, a lap top computer on the coffee table in front of her, beside it a plate with a few cookies on it.

She was an attractive woman, an appearance similar to Nene's but more mature. While she wore her red hair shorter than her daughter's, her eyes were the exact same shade of green as Nene's.

"Tough day at work I guess," her mother said, looking at the television to emphasise her point.

"Just tiring." Nene took a seat beside her mother. "The newscasters always tend to exaggerate things. How about you?"

"Oh, this and that. Chief of neurosurgery sounded rather nice but I seem to spend a lot more time explaining cybernetic, neural interfaces to people than actual surgery."

"I would think that would be preferable." Nene made of slightly distasteful face at the thought of cutting into peoples' heads.

"You're too much like your father." Her mother shook her head. "At least you don't faint at the sight of blood."

"He does not."

"Maybe not small amounts. I'm surprised you can give blood and remain conscious. Maybe because I carried you while I was still in medical school?"

"I guess." Nene reached down, taking a cookie from the plate on the table.

"These came for you." Ali took several envelopes from beside her and handed them to Nene.

"So what are these?" Nene asked, feeling suspicious. Any other time mail for her would have been left on the table out in the hallway. She put the cookie back on the plate.

"Just some brochures for various colleges."

"And why would I be getting brochures from various colleges?" Nene arched an eyebrow and tore open one of the envelopes.

"Because I sent for them for you," her mother said.

"Kaa-san(mother)," Nene said, a little upset.

"Nene-chan, it is about time you started thinking about the future," her mother said, giving her that look that always made her feel five years old.

"I am thinking of my future," Nene said.

"Hontou(really)?" her mother intensified her look. "And what are your plans komusume(little girl)?"

"Well, I have nothing concrete. I guess I was thinking of going to university, eventually."

"Well, soon you will be able to write the entrance exams. These brochures have all the dates and places. I think this April is 'eventually' enough."

"Kaa-san, this is why I ran away in the first place."

"I think you are mature enough to not do that again," Ali said. "Just think about it Nene-chan," her mother reached over and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "That is not too much to as is it?"

"I'm going up to my room to read these." Nene got to her feet.

"That's all we ask," her mother said. "And remember, the Central Exam in on the 15th and 16th. You can write it at the Toudai-Tokyo Daigaku(university)-campus."

"Right." Nene smiled, shaking her head as she left the living room.

Nene walked up the stairs to the second floor. The door to her room was slightly ajar, as Nene had left it.

There was a dead bolt on the door, her parents' way of telling her that they respected her privacy. One of the points of contentions between her and her parents that had made her run away had been privacy.

Nene never locked the door, her way of telling her parents she trusted them. The first few days she had even left a few things in plain view in her room that she knew would elicit some reaction if her parents saw them. As far as she knew they had never entered the room uninvited.

She moved into her room, then closed the door behind her, but didn't bother locking it. Tossing her purse on the bed as she walked past, Nene continued to her desk.

She took a seat and began to turn her computer system on. Pushing the chair back slightly she looked at the envelope she had already torn open, then dumped its contents onto her desk.

There were several sheets of paper inside of it, a few brochures and a computer disk. She looked them over then put them aside. The contents of the rest of the envelopes were similar. She took note of the information about the entrance exams, noting the dates.

What was she going to do?

She had been thinking about going to university, but she had wanted to do it on her own terms. Having her parents forcing her into it made her feel, well, like she was back in high school.

Her parents must have sent for the brochures soon after Nene had turned down the job offer from her father.

It might have been interesting and it would have made use of her natural affinity with computers but working with her father would have been tough. The two of them together would have driven each other insane in time.

So, Nene thought, you couldn't get me what you thought would be a respectable job so you decided I should go to university. The really annoying thing was that she could not even be mad at them, she liked the idea.

Well, there was nothing for it. Her parents were going to get their own way, like they always did. Nene shook her head and looked at her computer.

First thing was to make a list of what she had to study if she hoped to pass the Central Exam. Then she was going to have to decide which universities she wanted to write at. Tokyo Daigaku, Toudai, was of course one. As the top University in the country it had to be on the list. There were others that she would consider.

Suddenly she wondered what Sylia would think of it? That could be another problem Nene thought. She would have to deal with it soon enough. Too many things for her to worry about.

She left the computer running and got up. She wanted to take a long bath before going to sleep.

-

Sliding in and out of traffic the red BMW replica easily outpaced the other traffic on the overpass. Soon the other vehicles dwindled and vanished all together as the sports car entered an area that had yet to be rebuilt.

The car bounced through potholes and cracks, over chunks of asphalt. It swerved back and forth, barely under control. The wet, almost icy condition of the road was not helping. More than once the car almost slid out of control.

Sylia sat behind the wheel, fighting for control of her car, wincing in sympathetic pain each time car bounced through a damaged section of the road. She was looking at a realignment job at least and the rims might need to be replaced as well. Lousy way to treat an old friend, she thought, doing her best to avoid the bigger holes in the road.

She finally hit the brakes, feeling the pedal push back against her foot at the ABS did its job.

It slid to a stop, nearly a hundred meters from where the over pass ended. More than close enough for Sylia's taste.

Pushing the gull wing door open Sylia shifted in the seat, getting gracefully out of the car.

She walked along the pitted and damaged road; her high heels made navigating the damage difficult, but not impossible. She finally reached the end where the concrete, asphalt and steel reinforcing rods of the over pass ended and open air began.

It was one of the higher over passes, built before the Second Kanto quake, when Tokyo's traffic problems had been much worse. After the quake repairing the over passes had been considered of little importance. Even with the constantly growing population they still left many in their damaged state. Too expensive to tear down and during the rebuilding a much more efficient road system had been laid out.

The skeleton of the over pass system remained, some of it rebuilt, some of it not, and all of it casting perpetual shadows over certain parts of the city.

Sylia shivered slightly in the early January wind as it ruffled her shoulder length black hair, blew fine particles of stinging grit into her brown eyes. Sylia put up a hand to shield her face as she blinked her eyes, letting tears flush the particles away.

The wind slowed then died altogether a few moments later. Sylia wiped at the edges of her eyes then let her hand drop to her side.

She looked out over the city, seeing the lights of far off buildings, the stream of traffic, marked by white and red points of illumination, speeding along the roads.

I've fought for you, Sylia thought, looking at the city. I've protected you, been hurt for you, given up so much for you. Does that make you mine?

The line of thought surprised Sylia, it had not been what had driven her to a late night run through the city and up onto the over pass. She was not sure what it was that had made her take a page out of Priss' book of dealing with stress and sent her speeding along the roads.

A sense of unease, but it had come from within, not from any external source. Restlessness. Things had been very quiet. Genom had been lying low since the affair with their super boomer and Dr. McLaren.

The affair with the rogue Genom scientist at the AD Police building almost a month before had proven not to be a Genom plot after all. In a way she was disappointed. She needed to remember all her old hate-the drive for revenge, the desire to destroy that had driven her-but it was fading.

What had she told Lisa? Sylia wondered. Genom was needed for the good they did, the Knight Sabers were needed to off set the bad.

Is that all I've become, a counterweight to Genom? The thought was not one she liked. Her life's work had to mean more than that.

She had helped a lot of people, saved lives, done what was 'good'. At the same time though, she had done other things, things that had never set easy with her.

Sylia turned around, walking back towards her car. She had not found any answers in her hectic drive. The city had been silent, refusing to enlighten her.

-

Leon took several deep breaths as he took the magazine out of his M-42 and gauged its weight. About half full, he thought, sliding it back into his weapon. His breath was misting in the air, clouds of vapour rising up above his head.

Around him was the sound of gunfire and sometimes the booming of heavier weapons. His squad was pinned down on the other side of the burning warehouse, unable to advance, unable to get close enough to support him. That left Leon in the unenviable position of sitting within unfriendly territory with no back up close at hand. A mixture of bad luck and bad planning on his part. He had not expected the heavier weapons.

"Daily," he said into his boom mike. "Where are your people?"

"Stuck in traffic actually."

"ETA?"

"Ten minutes."

"Great," Leon leaned back and stared up at the night sky. With the tracer passing over it was rather pretty. He switched frequencies on his radio. "I need air support and I need it now."

"Fire Bees on the way," Sergeant Harrison told him.

"I need something bigger."

"No one up top is going to okay that Leon," she told him.

"Do we have any Algonquins in the air?"

"One."

"Who's flying it?"

"Kimble-keibuho(lieutenant)."

"Subarashii(great). Give me a direct link, and private."

"Just a sec," she said. Leon could make out the muffled sounds of Harrison giving some orders.

"Kimble desu," he heard a moment later.

"Emiko-chan, want to do me a highly illegal favour?"

"What is it this time Kichou(captain)?" she asked.

"I got some unfriendlies up on high ground with some serious nasty firepower. I need to shake them up so my team can get into position."

"Okay, be there in about a minute. Kimble out."

Leon relaxed slightly. Staying alive for one of Emiko's minutes would be a lot easier than staying alive for Daily's ten.

Thirty seconds later the high-speed attack helicopter flew by, the nose mounted, 20mm, chain-guns digging a long trench into the ground up to and over the terrorists' position.

"How's that Leon?" Emiko asked over the radio.

"I love you," he said.

"I'll believe it when you give me the ring Leon-chan."

-

D moved among crates and packages, through the burning warehouse, looking for a clear way out. Staying behind had been necessary, but ultimately dangerous. Still, it was vital that all the evidence be destroyed. It meant death if Genom found out what really happened.

She need not have bothered; Prometheus Bound had done a more than adequate job of ensuring everything in the warehouse would be destroyed. Unfortunately she was currently in the warehouse.

It would not be too long until her hair started to burn, then her clothing. Her skin would take much longer, but if she stayed even it would start.

She should have left with the terrorists, but had been worried about being seen. Now she was worried about dying, if she could die. The terrorists outside would have told her that she couldn't, but she was of a different opinion on that.

A sound reached her in time to give her a chance to dodge out of the way. The wall she was close to exploded as a large number of 20mm rounds tore through it. D was not hit directly by any of the rounds, but she took a spray of shrapnel from the wall.

It looked as if the ADP had finally decided to get serious, she thought as she pushed herself off the floor and brushed burning debris from her clothing. Time for her to get out.

D pulled her coat over her face-her optics were one of the more fragile parts of her body-and then ran across the room. Leaping high, D hit an area of wall she hoped had been weakened by the fire.

The wall gave way under the impact and a moment later D was rolling across the broken ground, putting out the fires that had started on her clothing.

Once the fires were smothered, she looked around, keeping low to the ground. There was a lot of gunfire but none of it too close and she could see no one near to her. Once she was sure it was safe, or as safe as it could be, D pulled herself along the ground until she found a sewer cover. After pulling it open she slid down into the tunnels, dragging the heavy metal plate over top of the sewer, cutting off the light and some of the noise.

She dropped down into the waist high water, which splashed around her.

That was one problem taken care of, she thought. Now all she had to do was get home.

-

The tunnel had been closed off after the quake, another piece of the city that remained in a state of disrepair, forgotten. Water had leaked in from the storm sewers, nastier things from the waste sewers. The liquid level in the tunnel was nearly 2 meters.

D slogged through, unmindful of the filthy water. She was having a little problem with her arms. The muscles on her back were a mess thanks to the shrapnel she had taken.

The kilometres she had travelled in the tunnel, and before that through the sewers, were beginning to drag on her. She could not really feel pain, a slight sense of what some might call discomfort was all that told her of the damage. Her diagnostic computer was telling her exactly what was wrong.

It was some time later that she finally reached her egress point. There were a few shallow indentations in the wall, and a hole in the tunnel ceiling. She reached up, slipping her fingers into the shallow, slippery, handholds. Pulling herself up she crammed a foot into another of the indentations under the fluid level. She had long since lost her shoes.

With the nearly steady perch she freed one hand and reached up, putting her hand on a metal rung in the shaft above her. With one hand she pulled herself up, then reached up to grasp another rung with her free hand.

A little more effort and her whole body was in the shaft. She began to climb.

Several meters higher she reached a small chamber where the ladder ended. Once she was in the chamber she closed the floor hatch. Nozzles along the wall began to spray her with a powerful disinfectant and water, cleaning the filth from her.

While the cleaning room was primarily for the humans that used the shafts, D used it as well. At first it was only for practicalities sake, she could not deal with humans well when she was covered with filth. Over time though she had reached a point where being filthy was, in some way she had trouble describing, uncomfortable.

Stripping off her burnt and soiled clothing she dropped them into a pile. There was nothing she wanted to keep. Bending down she pulled the hatch open, straining against the weight of the water. The damage she had taken earlier made it harder than it should have been.

Finally she opened it and the liquid began to flow out and the spray stopped. With her feet she pushed her clothes into the shaft opening, letting them fall into the tunnel below.

That done D reached above her and opened another hatch. She pulled herself up into the shower room. When she closed the hatch it was impossible to see it as it blended in perfectly with tiled floor.

Grasping the taps she turned the hot water right up. Within moments the scalding hot water was running over her synthetic skin. She was not bothered by it, she didn't even feel anything akin to pain and her diagnostic computer was not even registering the heat as damaging. She liked it though.

D had originally been designed for covert body guarding operations-something the standard C class had a bit of trouble with. They just lacked social graces necessary to blend in, not to mention a build that put most steroid abusing, North American Football players to shame.

An improved learning program, more background information and standard endoskeleton design modifications made for less obtrusive protection. It also made true sentience a possibility, as D had found out.

So she found herself enjoying hot showers and a number of other things that few boomers, aside from 33Ss, would understand. Sometimes she was bothered by that. It was not easy being a boomer that thought like a human. She often wondered whether her sisters might have come to a similar state had they not been destroyed. Those thoughts went in circles and were not at all productive.

After several minutes she put her hand on the tap, shutting the shower off. As she walked out of the room a cloud of steam flowed out from behind her.

From one of the lockers in the change room she removed a long, terry cloth robe, letting it absorb the water still coating her skin.

Grabbing a towel from a pile near the door she started to dry her hair as she left the change room, exiting into the main corridors.

Rubbing at her hair she traversed the darkened corridors easily, her eyes amplifying the small amounts of ambient light.

Reaching a door marked "SURGERY" she pushed it open and entered.

An older gentleman was sitting on a stool in front of the operating table on which the disassembled head of a C class boomer rested.

He had thinning blonde hair, the few touches of grey in it were hard to see. He was average height and weight and D knew that his average looks were totally forgettable. A rather unfortunate aspect for a man who was one of the worlds leading, living experts in cyberdroids and artificial intelligence.

She had found Yoshiro Andrews again, once things had calmed down after the Largo incident. She was glad he had survived the purge that had dealt with most of Mason's operatives.

"Andrews Sensei," D said, pulling the towel around her shoulders.

"Eh?" He spun on his chair. "Oh, D, good to see you back." He relaxed. "I take it everything went well?"

"Well enough. The unit in question was extracted, and the destruction should cover the theft. Unless a thorough and very detailed investigation is performed. Basically it means as long as Quincy does not see reason to get involved we're safe," D said, circling around the opposite side of the table.

"Let's hope he does not become involved then." Doctor Andrews turned to face her.

D nodded as she picked up the stripped boomer skull, holding it up at eye level.

"Alas, poor F2, I knew him Andrews-sensei. A cyberdroid of infinite dullness, of most excellent destruction. Here hung that ion cannon, which often blinded me with its brightness. Where is your hatred now? Your destruction? Your flashes of true sentience that showed when you ended life? Get thee to my masters chamber and tell him, let him plan and plot but to this favour he must come. Make him smile his twisted smile at that." She dropped the skull to the table then swept it and the component parts to the floor.

"You always surprise me." Yoshiro said, looking at her with those soft brown eyes of his.

"The quotations, as misquoted as they were, or the flash of anger."

"Either. Both."

"Well there was more to that than a tantrum." She undid the robe and let it fall. "I need a little work," she told him as she turned around so he could survey the damage

"I see." He ran his fingers over the torn skin on her back, probing at the wounds.

Even though she could not truly feel pain, or more accurately be affected by it, he was gentle. It was one of the reasons she liked him. He treated all his patients, be they biological or otherwise, with respect.

"Rather messy. I suppose you came through the tunnel?"

"Yes."

"There must be a rather high acid content to the water, there has been some damage to the synthetic tissues. Given enough time it might have affected your other systems. Lie down please," he patted the table.

"Fortunately I didn't spend that much time there."

"I'm going to run you through the NMR scanner, might as well do a CAT scan at the same time, just get a look at where everything is before I start removing things."

"I hate the NMR, it gives me a head ache." D told him.

"It's just an effect of the magnetic field on your systems. It's nothing to worry about."

"So you say."

"Hold tight." He typed a few commands into the keyboard by the table. An iris opened near D's head and the table slid into the large tube.

The CAT scan ran first, beams of X-rays scanning through out the entire three hundred and sixty degrees of her body. D could actually see the light, feel it pass through her, she had a number of sensors that detected all spectrums of light.

After that was the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. The large circular magnet caused the hydrogen atoms in her body to shift. When it was turned off the atoms returned to their original position, producing an electromagnetic signal that the sensors in the cylinder read.

D felt the pain, it was the best way she could describe it-she knew she didn't like it-as well as momentarily dizziness and nausea. Well she was fairly sure that was what she was feeling.

Yoshiro also decided to run an ultrasound, just to check for microfractures in her skeleton.

He was glad that D was so well shielded against possible damage from the scanning techniques he was using. Most C class boomers did not stand up well to NMR, which meant he had a lot of trouble discovering problems. That led to a lot of breakdowns, like the F2 unit. D was not likely to go that way.

"That should do it." He brought her out of the cylinder, letting the iris close up behind her.

"Let's not do that again anytime soon," D said, feeling like she had one of the hangovers she had heard the humans talk about.

"Try not to get shot up," He told her coolly, the way he treated all his patients who complained.

"Easy for you to say," D whispered.

Yoshiro looked at the screens as they displayed the information he had just gathered. After comparing it to a base reading from her original production he felt there was no serious damage.

"Well, this shouldn't take long." Picking up a scalpel he sliced the skin along her backbone then peeled it back.

With a pair of forceps he pulled out the chunks of wood and metal that had imbedded themselves in the dense, C class boomer muscle. What turned out to be a screw had been stopped by her scapula and after removing it he buffed away a few of the rough spots the impact had caused. In some cases he just cut out chunks of the muscle, tossing it to the floor. Easier to replace than to try removing all the fragments.

"This could have caused a problem." He told her as he picked up a longer set of forceps and went fishing for a piece of jagged shrapnel.

"How so?"

"Came close to severing an information relay. I always suspected some redundancy for that system would be useful."

"Half my body paralysed had it been damaged right?"

"Uh huh." He was a bit distracted as he pulled the last round out.

"Which would have increased my time in the tunnel which would have probably led in other systems shutting down and I would have been trapped down there."

"Not a pleasant way to die." He tossed the last shrapnel into a kidney basin. Metal rang out on metal. After that he began to work on her legs and arms. "Well," he said after a time, "now I just have to replace all the muscle tissue and you'll be fine."

He walked over to the refrigerated storage cabinet and began to remove the stored muscle.

D lay there, chin resting on her hands, staring at the opposite wall as Yoshiro began to replace the tissue. It took him almost an hour and D was beginning to feel a little bored.

Once he was done he pulled the skin back in place, cut away the damaged sections in squares and put new ones in their place.

"There, now we'll just let the glue set and you should be at one hundred percent." He wheeled the stool around so he was in front of her.

"You've checked the unit by now I take it? It is exactly what we wanted?"

"Never activated. Virginal, as it were."

"Good."

"Its also third generation, we got very lucky."

"Third gen?" D blew a lock of her now dry hair out of her eyes. "I didn't think they actually got any off the drawing boards."

"A few. But with the decision being made on those units they never bothered activating or programming any of them."

"Any idea about the organic components? They haven't absorbed any information, have they?"

"No more than a new born if any. The storage process is very good. I don't foresee there being any problems. Should I do a quick start up?"

"Not this time."

"It was your idea last time, I think that may have been a problem."

"I'm aware of that Sensei." She pushed herself up, feeling confident that the surgical adhesive had dried. "Which is why we will take our time. Four days, correct?" She pulled her robe back on, happy her body was responding perfectly.

"Yes."

"Get in touch with me before consciousness is achieved. I'll be busy over the next few days."

"Of course D-san." He said.

She left the room.

Shaking his head he looked down at the boomer head in the corner. There was not much he could really do about it, and F2 had not been all that stable when it finally broke down.

He packed a few things away, then left operating room, walking towards the room he had. The next day was going to be busy. He would be bringing a new life into the world.

-

Doctor Sharon Knight looked down at the results in front of her, feeling incredible elation but hiding the feeling, hiding behind a scowl of disappointment.

She was a petite woman, slim, waifish in fact. She wore her auburn hair short. Dark brown eyes, always more than a little intense, skin the colour of light coffee gave her an exotic look. She was a handsome woman, self-confident.

"I can't believe this," Victor North-one of her assistants-said softly. He took short breaths, as if he was trying to not vomit. He was tall, lanky really, with an unfocused look in his blue eyes. His blonde hair was too long and tangled. He looked a little like a homeless person.

"Yes, it was rather unfortunate." Sharon leaned back in her chair. "But we can deal with the problems. The next tests should prove more informative."

"What do you mean next tests?" Victor was on his feet. "Two people are dead, they tore each other apart."

"As I said, unfortunate. We learn from our failures as well as our successes."

"Doctor! I can't believe you are saying this!" Victor yelled. "Two of our subjects are dead. It's our fault!"

"Two subjects who would have died in a year regardless. Two subjects who might have had a chance at a better quality of life had we succeeded. Two subjects, who knew the risks," she lied.

"That doesn't make it right. We can't continue, not with human subjects, not for a long time now." He collapsed into his seat. "Years of work, gone. We'll probably lose funding. MRAStech was right to stop this project."

"Which is why we went to Aphros Industries," she told him.

"They won't let this continue. Dr. Knight, face it, this is over."

"Victor, we don't need to tell them," Sharon said, getting to her feet.

"You can't be serious. People are dead!"

"Victor, we are close, perhaps hours close, think about it. How many people might we save?"

"Doctor, I've ignored a lot of things, looked the other way over the inconsistencies in your progress reports to Aphros, and before that MRAStech, but I can't look the other way this time. There will be inquiries, questions, they'll find out. Right now we haven't done anything really wrong, but if we cover up these deaths..."

"I'm not saying we cover them up. We'll file full reports in a few hours and like you said we'll be closed down. In those few hours we can complete our work. Think about it."

"What do you mean in a few hours?"

"The last test, it provided all the information we need to complete our work."

"I can't believe that."

"Give me a few minutes, that's all I ask," she said to him, smiling at him, placing her hand on his arm.

"I guess a few minutes really won't matter." He said, his desire to make a name for himself in the annals of science overcoming his better sense. And Sharon was an attractive woman.

"Come up to my personal labs. If you still want to report this right away we will." Sharon turned and started walking towards the elevators.

Victor looked at her retreating back, then down at the phone. He got up slowly and followed after her.

Sharon took a key from her lab coat pocket and pushed it into a lock between the elevator call buttons. She pressed the up button. The doors opened, she stepped in, Victor right behind her.

"You've never been into my private labs have you?" Sharon tapped the button for the sixth floor.

"No, I've always been curious though."

"Mostly I have a lot of empty space right now. I hoped that I would need it soon but after today's test..."

"Well, at least we can finish off the main work," Victor said, a touch of excitement in his voice.

The elevator reached the sixth floor and the doors slid open with a chime. Sharon walked out into an empty room.

"This place is empty," Victor remarked as he stepped out of the elevator. "So where's your lab?"

"Right down the hall." She indicated the way. "Shall we?"

They walked down the hall, beside each other. Sharon moved a little closer to him, letting her shoulder brush against his arm.

"I don't see how you could be that close to completing the project," Victor said to hide the nervousness he suddenly felt. He wondered if Sharon knew the effect she had on him? Probably not. He had her pegged as one of those beautiful women who did not know she was beautiful. "Even with the data from today's experiment we can't be that close."

"You'd be surprised," she told him. "Right through here." She pointed to an open door and walked through it ahead of him.

Victor followed her in. He found himself in a room just as empty as the rest of the sixth floor had been. He heard some crackling and looked down, seeing the floor was covered in a plastic sheet.

"What is this?" he asked, looking up from the floor towards Sharon.

"It's all very unfortunate," Sharon told him.

"Pardon?"

"I'm sorry Victor," she said sadly.

Victor looked at her for a moment, not sure what she meant.

There was a click behind him, a sound of metal on metal. He began to turn, a look of curiosity on his face. A moment later pain flashed across his face as a long blade slid into the back of his neck. A hand reached over to clamp over his mouth before he could make any noise.

Victor's eyes widened as he stared in shock at Sharon. She smiled sadly as she locked gazes with him. "I am sorry."

The blade twisted, cutting through Victor's spine, finishing him off. The attacker released him, letting his body drop to the plastic sheet.

"That was unfortunate Doctor Knight," Terrence Lecoix said, looking down at the body. His light brown hair was cut shorter than it had been when he had met Yoshiro in Paris, and without the breather it was possible to see his rugged features and brown eyes.

"He was not supposed to be there for the final test," Sharon said, shaking her head. "He demanded it though. Poor idiot." She used the toe of her shoe to push at him. A pool of blood was beginning to spread out under him.

"So, the tests are complete?"

Sharon looked up from the body. "I have a little fine tuning to complete, but for the most part the product is complete."

"Have you considered the modifications I asked about?"

"I have, but it would be difficult. You'd need a specialist to do it right."

"But it could be done?" Terrence asked, something hungry in his tone.

"I suppose. With some work. It's not really necessary though."

"Of course," Terrence said, nodding, "but it always is useful to know where a technology could go."

"What will you do with the body?" she asked, again looking down at Victor's still form.

"I'll get rid of it. How long until someone misses him?"

"A week, perhaps two. One of the benefits of moving operations to MegaTokyo."

He nodded.


	2. Domino Effect 2

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
**An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers 2034  
Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 2 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999;2005) 

Based on Situations and Characters crated by Suzuki Toshimichi

**MegaTokyo, January 11th.**

Nene balanced the load of paperwork in her arms, hurrying through the corridors of the AD Police building. With more than a little trouble, she managed to shift the load just enough to be able to check her watch. Just enough time, if she was quick.

She dropped off more than half of the files on the eleventh floor before rushing up the stairs to the twelfth. Near the southern side of the building, if a cylinder could be said to have sides, was a women's washroom that, for some reason, saw almost no use.

Nene pushed through the door, looked around then checked under the stalls to make sure no one was around. Satisfied she was alone, she went into the farthest stall, locking the door behind her.

After placing the files on the floor, she slid her laptop free of the camouflage. Reaching towards the wall she slid her fingernails into the cracks around one of the tiles, and pulled it free. She placed the piece of ceramic on top of the files then reached into the space revealed, removing a small bundle of fibre optic cables. Taking a set of leads from the laptop she slid them into the I/O splice points she had inserted a few months before.

Squatting down, being careful not to put her foot into the toilet, she placed the computer in her lap. Once she turned it on she was connected into the building's secure datanet.

There were a number of other computers in the building she could have used to access the information, but the current set up ensured much more privacy.

Normally she would have used Leon's access to check the data, but Leon was not involved in the case. Logging in she typed out the password only to be denied access. Nene shook her head. How often did she change her password anyway? she wondered. How paranoid can a person be?

Then again, for the non-entities up in pure investigations paranoia was probably just good sense. They asked the questions that were probably best not asked and they discovered the answers some people would prefer remain undiscovered. It was hard to cancel an investigation that no one knew about.

She almost used Leon's password, knowing most of the information would be in his files but then a stubborn streak rose up in her. She looked at her watch and decided she could take a bit of time.

Sliding down, deep into the computer system, she used a few of the back doors she had found and temporarily rewrote a few of the operating protocols. Shortly thereafter she logged in once again, typing in the password she had retrieved.

"Welcome Malso-keibuho(lieutenant)." Printed across the screen. Nene smiled as she copied all the information about the previous night's terrorist case onto a disk. The ADP was interested because it involved terrorists with heavy weapons, and, though no one said it aloud, it involved Genom. Sylia was interested because Genom was showing more interest in what had happened then she thought the incident warranted.

After she was finished she made a few changes to ensure that Lieutenant Malso did not realise that someone had been abusing her password, then logged off. That was the nice thing about Leon, he never really gave his computer much attention.

Nene worked quickly to undo everything she had done, pushing the ceramic tile back into place, sliding her computer back into the file stack and brushing her uniform's skirt straight. Satisfied she had left nothing suspicious showing, Nene unlocked the stall door, gathered up the paperwork and left, heading towards the elevators.

After a few more stops Nene returned to her workstation, putting the remaining files in her inbox. She pulled one of her desk drawers open, freed her laptop from the files then dropped it into the drawer. Now to work, she thought, pushing the drawer closed.

She found herself finished in surprisingly little time. It had been some time since the Knight Sabers had done anything beyond stopping the occasional rogue boomer. Getting her job done had not been a problem; in fact, now it seemed like she had actually managed to get ahead of it.

This is a first, Nene thought, pushing the completed files to the side of her desk as she checked the files on her PC to make sure she had not forgotten anything.

She leaned back in her chair for a moment before letting the chair return fully upright so she could bend down, taking her purse from under the desk.

Rifling through it Nene removed a disk from one of the inside pockets. She pushed it into the PC's drive and loaded the file into the computer.

She had set her computer to compiling a list of texts that were recommend for the central exam the night before. Then she had had it find all he differences between those texts and the ones she had read in the past. That morning she had saved all the information to use as a place to start studying.

She had made a number of notes and had put together several files worth of study notes. She would write the test in a few days and wanted to be up on everything. To cut down her study time she had gone to the original papers, staying away from texts.

It reminded her of high school in some ways. She had been in her first year of senior high school, her parents had just convinced her that it was time she got to work, time to start thinking about university. Nene had bought into it completely and had decided that year she was going to do her best, even though she had consistently received some of the highest marks in Junior High School.

Within the first three weeks she had read all her texts. That had led her to ask a lot of questions of her teachers, ones they had not been willing to answer at that time, telling her to wait until they covered it as the curriculum dictated.

Finally she had turned to the texts of the upper classes, hoping to find the answers. She found some, but she also discovered even more questions that needed answers. She had started skipping classes to visit the library, but she always made sure that she was in class for any tests.

Then she had turned to university libraries, giving up texts to go after the actual articles in the journals and periodicals stored in the library databases. Her first serious attempts at what the uncharitable might call 'illegal access of restricted material'-Nene preferred to think of it as sneaking in back doors-had been oddly enjoyable. After discovering that she enjoyed hacking, she had soon found some people at school who shared similar interests. It had been a lot more fun than tennis.

Even with the highest marks in her school her parents had not been happy. There was more to school than just getting high marks; there were also attendance records, participation in school events and other things like that, they had told her.

So Nene had tried but sitting through the classes was so boring, she had already learned it all. She had started avoiding her classes again.

Her parents had continued to push her. While she tried hard, she could not meet their all of their expectations. At seventeen she had finally run away.

And now she was living with her parents again, getting ready to write her tests and finally doing exactly what they wanted. It was funny really.

"What's this?" Naoko Ikusawa asked, leaning over Nene's shoulder.

"Just a few things," Nene said.

"Biology?" Naoko said, reading what was on the screen. "Mitochondria, vacuoles, ribosome? What's all this?"

"Doing a bit of studying," Nene told her.

"This isn't high school Nene-kun," Naoko said with mock sternness.

"Tell me about it," Nene said, pushing her chair back, stretching her legs out.

"So, are you busy tonight?"

"Why?"

"A bunch of us are going out for dinner and a movie after work, do you want to come?"

"Sure. Oh, wait. I've got some things to do. What do you say I meet you at the restaurant?"

"Okay, we'll be at Matsuo's until eight."

"Matsuo's," Nene said as she wrote the name down on a pad of paper.

"Oh, got to go," Naoko said. "Harrison-sama is giving me that stare of hers." Naoko smiled as she headed off towards her workstation.

Nene looked over her notes again, already deciding which archive sites were most likely to have the journal articles and would be the easiest to deal with.

-

Linna wiped the perspiration from her forehead then tossed the towel to the side of the studio. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, making the studio just a little too warm. She stood still for a moment, listening to the music before beginning to move to it, moving through the complex steps of the dance.

It had been a long time since she had danced with any serious intent. Mostly it had been the occasional night on the dance floor with her boy friend of the week or at Hot Legs, dancing to Priss' music. As close to dancing as one could get when pressed in on all sides by a crowd.

What she was doing now in the empty aerobics studio was completely different, however. She couldn't afford to be good, there were millions of good dancers. She had to be great. She had to be perfection and grace personified.

That was what she needed to be, but as Linna fought to keep her balance through a spin she knew she was not. She had not been for quite a while, but she was going to have to be. There was not a lot of time. The decision would come soon.

She ended the routine, dropping into a splits, placing her forehead on her knee. The sound of slow clapping made her look up, towards the door.

"A bit too much, even for the advanced classes wouldn't you say Linna-san?" Ami Shaw asked, leaning up against the door, still clapping slowly.

"Just practising," Linna told her as she swung her legs together, then got to her feet.

"For what?" Ami stopped clapping.

"Possibly an audition." Linna picked up her towel and pulled it around her neck, using the ends to wipe at her face.

"Not bad," Ami told her.

"What do you really think?" Linna asked, knowing politeness from truth.

"Well, I'm not a pro or anything but I think it was a bit loose. It lacked, I don't know, crispness"  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Linna said slowly.

"Listen, I was going to tell you that you have a class shortly but if you want I'll take it for you. I owe you one or two."

"Really?"

"No problem at all. Every extra minute of practice you get will help, right?"

"Right. Thank you very much." Linna bowed formally, truly grateful.

"No problem. Good luck." Ami left the studio.

Linna ran through a few quick, breathing exercises then let her towel drop. She began to dance once again, working to improve all the faults she had found in the last run through while at the same time looking for new ones.

-

Nene pulled her scooter into the parking space in front of LADYS633, shutting off the engine and putting down the kick stand. She took her helmet off and locked it to the scooter before removing her purse from the storage compartment.

After taking a moment to run a debit card through the parking meter she walked into the building and headed for the Silky Doll.

There were a number of customers in the store, Nene noted as she entered. Most were women looking through the store's wares. However, there were a few men who had the uncomfortable look of husbands and boyfriends dragged in against their will.

Mackie was manning the cash register, sitting behind the counter with that dreamy look of his. If he noticed Nene, he didn't pay any more attention to her than any of the other women in the store.

Turning to look through a rack of flimsy lingerie, Nene considered buying the highly impractical garment just on the off chance her parents might see it. She knew her mother's thoughts on just who garments like that were for. Smiling slightly at the thought Nene moved on, checking out a few more garments before moving to the central bins where more practical undergarments were kept.

She looked through the bins, removing several pairs of panties before heading up to the cash register. She placed the underwear on the counter.

Mackie quickly went through the pile of cotton and silk, running a scanner over the bar code price tags. Nene watched as the total was displayed on the cash register. She reached into her purse and pulled out several bills that were folded around a computer disk.

"Thank you." Mackie said as he took the bills and then handed her her change.

"Is Sylia-san around?" Nene asked softly as he put her purchases into a bag.

"Upstairs." Mackie answered just as softly.

"Is it all right if I see her?"

As he put the last pair of panties into the bag he turned to a small screen just under the counter. It showed the status of security around the building. Everything seemed clear.

"It shouldn't be a problem." Then louder, "Please come again."

Nene nodded as she picked up her bag. She turned and headed out of the store. As she exited the building she was suddenly struck by the thought that Mackie had handled most of the underwear she owned. She laughed quietly as she walked towards her scooter.

Not bothering to put her purse and bag away, Nene placed them near her feet once she was on the scooter. She unlocked her helmet, put it on, and then pushed the electric starter.

Rocking the scooter forward off the kick stand Nene headed off. Two blocks farther up she turned, circling back to LADYS633. A short time later she was pulling into the private parking lot in the back.

She parked her scooter between Sylia's BMW and a four door Mazda sedan. After shutting the scooter off she gathered up her purse and bag of underwear, then walked towards the elevator.

-

Sylia stood by the window, listening to Nene as she spoke of her problems. Part of Sylia did not want to bother with it, was actually angry at Nene for wasting her time with, what to Sylia were, petty concerns. But that was only a small part of Sylia and for the most part she was actually pleased Nene had come to her. She felt a wave of sisterly affection towards the younger woman.

There was another part of Sylia that felt guilty though. That Nene felt that she had to actually come to Sylia about this; what had her actions done to the women she considered her friends, almost family. Sylia turned as Nene finished, looking down at her. Nene looked up at her from the couch.

"What is it you want me to tell you Nene?" Sylia asked. "That you can't go to university because I need you to remain with the AD Police?" Sylia crossed the richly appointed living room and turned. "I can not and more importantly I will not," Sylia told her.

"But..."

"No," Sylia interrupted her. "As important as having a person in the AD Police was at the beginning, it is no longer necessary." Sylia walked back to the couch. "Do you want to do this?"

"Well," Nene stared down at her shoes, shifting around on the couch slightly. "I think so, but I don't want to let you down."

Is this what it has come to? Sylia thought to herself. Have I destroyed her life, making her a tool of my desires? It was not a pleasant thought.

"Nene." Sylia took a seat beside her. "Do you know how many taps you have put into the ADP computer system?"

"Around fifty," Nene said softly, not looking up.

"Fifty three to be exact. Fifteen of which we have shut down over the past year, none of those were ever found. Your leaving will not be letting me down." Sylia got to her feet. "You also have a number of friends within the organisation which gives you reason to occasionally visit."

Sylia did not see Nene wince slightly, as if struck. The idea of using her friends like that made her feel like a traitor of sorts, just like the idea of taking the test made her feel like a traitor to Sylia.

"If you do not wish to go to university that is your decision, I will not let you use the Knight Sabers to justify that choice though."

Nene didn't say anything, she was deep in thought. Sylia picked up the tea she had been drinking when Nene had come in. It was cold and a little bitter but she finished it off.

"Can you pass the juken(university entrance exam)?" Sylia put the bone china cup down on its saucer.

"Yes." Nene looked up at her, something fierce in her eyes.

Sylia had to be careful not to smile. She remembered reading Nene's Senior High School records, after she had unravelled the false identity that Nene had woven for herself. She did not doubt for a second that Nene could pass the central test, or any of the tests for any of the universities.

Once again she was glad she had not gone with her first instincts which had been to report Nene's location to the police and her parents and go with one of the others that had broken that code. As much as it would have been the right thing to do she was glad she had not done it. At the same time she could not help but to feel a little guilty.

"Then do so." Sylia walked back to the couch. "It is your decision to make."

"I guess." Nene got to her feet, still not sure what she wanted, or more to the point knowing what she wanted but not sure she should take it.

"And Nene," Sylia called to her as she was about to leave the living room. "I would appreciate it if you chose a university in Tokyo. I still need you as a member of the Knight Sabers."

"Thank you Sylia," Nene said over her shoulder, beginning to feel a little better. She left the living room. A few moments later Sylia heard her leaving.

Picking up the cup and saucer Sylia walked to her kitchen and put them into the dishwasher.

Sylia walked to the patio doors, slid them open, and stepped out onto the roof. The late afternoon sun chased away some of the cold, but Sylia still shivered. Her pool was covered, closed until the return of warmer weather.

First Linna and now Nene, Sylia thought, both finally continuing on with their lives. It was not that she was losing them, both would still be available, but it added a time constraint that Sylia never had to worry about before.

And then there was Priss; the one Knight Saber she knew she might lose at any moment. Possibly to her self destructive tendencies but most likely to the record company which finally realised what the singer offered.

Sylia could not even conceive of replacing them. When she had gathered them to her, tools of her vengeance, she had been looking for people like them. If she had to replace team members she would be looking for exact replacements. She would never find people exactly like Linna, Priss or Nene.

Perhaps we should all get on with our lives. Sylia leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms across her chest. I've killed Mason, the man directly responsible for father's death; I've destroyed Largo, his twisted incarnation. I have slowed Genom down, played balancing force to their evil many times, and even hurt them financially. I have the scars to prove it, so do my friends. How long will I continue this?

Sylia stared into nothing, lost in thought. It was much later when she was finally brought out of her reverie by the cold following in the wake of the setting sun.

-

The beeping of her alarm cut through the haze of sleep around Priss' mind. She pushed a hand out from under her covers and reached down to the floor, fumbling with the alarm until the beeping stopped. She turned over onto her back, staring up at the dingy grey ceiling of the trailer. She didn't want to get up, just moving her arm out from under the warmth of the blankets had been almost more than she had been willing to do.

Reaching above her head Priss unclipped an old watch from the headboard of the bed. It was a little after noon. Priss clipped the watch back to the railings then sat up, crouching slightly so her head did not hit the ceiling.

Turning, she slid her legs out of the bed and over the edge of the platform it rested on. Priss put her feet onto the ladder rungs, stood, then dropped to the floor.

She shivered slightly in the cool air of the trailer as she walked across the cluttered floor, stepping over the cushions that were her only other furnishing-other than the bed, a keyboard, and an empty gas can lying on its side-as she made her way to the hot water heater.

The gas came on with the overly loud hiss as it ran through the poorly constructed valves. As Priss pushed the igniter she made another promise to spend some money on herself and her comforts rather than her bike.

The cool air made her myriad of old wounds ache ever so slightly, the scar tissue making its presence felt. From the one on her leg which she had received during the Second Kanto Quake to the damage her right arm had taken from Reika's mech. Winter was reminding her of all the old wounds and hurts, a legacy of sorts and not one she was too pleased with. On the other hand, though, they were not nearly as painful as the scars on her soul.

Priss crossed the floor to the sleeping platform, opening the small door, revealing the tiny cubicle where the toilet was. She crouched down and entered, pulling the door closed.

Shortly after Priss exited the cubicle and returned to the hot water heater. She spun the tap on it, starting the hot water flowing into the steel tub. Another tap started the cold water.

Removing her night shirt she tossed it over the seat of her bike then slid into the rapidly filling tub. Using the tub without first washing always felt a bit odd to Priss, but she did not have a proper bathing set up so there was nothing she could really do.

Just one of the many joys of living as she did.

-

Shifting into a lower gear Priss leaned into the turn, her tires slipping slightly as she navigated the intersection a moment before the light changed. She shifted to a higher gear and twisted the accelerator, regaining the speed she had lost in the turn.

It was all done with automatic responses on Priss' part. Her mind was on other things other than the road. None of its was of great import-song lyrics, her personal finances and trying to remember how many more dinners Linna owed her (Not that it really mattered; she doubted Linna could remember either)-but it all ran through her mind. A few more high speed turns, a close call with one or two of the other vehicles with which she shared the road-resulting in a few curses that she hardly attention to-and she was pulling into the parking garage near Linna's apartment building.

She snagged the ticket from dispenser as she went by, hardly slowing. Turning sharply she slid her bike between two others on the ground level.

A minute later, with her helmet tucked under her arm, Priss exited the structure heading towards Linna's building.

She walked into the lobby, fishing a set of keys from her pocket and unlocking the security door. Linna had given her the keys almost a year before when they had been spending more time together. She had not asked for them back and they did save Priss the trouble of buzzing up every time she visited.

The elevator always took a bit too long for Priss' taste. Instead she pushed open the door to the stairwell and walked up them. She stepped out on the third floor, walking to Linna's door.

Her hand stopped a few centimetres from the wood. She turned her head, listening. Was that laughing? she wondered. It sounded just like Linna. Priss wondered what she was so happy about. She had to knock on the door several times before it was answered.

"Priss!" Linna cried as she opened it. "Look." She held an envelope and a piece of paper up for Priss to look at.

"What's this?" Priss took both from Linna. The envelope was marked with the logo of a private courier company. She read the letter. "An audition?"

"Yes!" Linna grabbed the envelope and letter back from Priss. She danced back several steps and spun around. "An audition!"

"Three days, is that enough time?" Priss entered the apartment, closing the door behind her. She began to work her feet out of her boots.

"It better be." Linna laughed, but there was something forced to it. Priss could see how nervous she was, no matter how she tried to hide it.

"What about dinner?" Priss asked, deciding the Linna could use something else to think about and that she was getting hungry.

"Oh, I forgot. I haven't made a thing."

"Great," Priss shook her head, smiling slightly.

"I'll take you out, I feel like celebrating," Linna said.

"Twist my arm why don't you," Priss said.

"Just let me get my purse." Linna ran deeper into the apartment, laughing.

"Ganbatte (good luck)," Priss said softly.

-

The club was nearly deserted, the few people remaining were either too drunk or too tired or both to be much of a bother. There were times when Priss just couldn't stand the adoration of her fans, especially since she was positive she had seen Leon in the audience when the lights had gone down a little.

It was unfortunate Linna had gone to practice her dance routine at the aerobics studio. Priss could usually count on her to run interference.

She sat on the stage, her legs hanging over the edge, rubbing at her hair with a towel. She had made use of the club's shower, changed into some clothes she kept there, black jeans and a red blouse. Her jacket rested in a pile on the stage beside her. When she told people that Hot Legs was her second home she was not speaking figuratively.

With the harsh lights illuminating the room, the waitresses cleaning off tables, the bouncers beginning to roust the people sleeping at tables, the club lost a lot of the magic it had when it was a shadowy place.

What a hole, Priss shook her head, tossing the towel aside. How many people had started at Hot Legs who had gone on to success of some sort? A lot she had been told. It was one of those places, a complete dump but it was a dump with history. It had been a big day in Priss' life when she had signed a contract to play one night at the club and there had been two other bands on the bill.

Now, well now she was just tired of the place.

"Excuse me, Asagiri-san?"

Priss looked up, finding herself face to face with a tall man, long black hair, held back in a ponytail, clean shaven, dark brown eyes, handsome. His black three piece suit was finely tailored. The Genom lapel pin caused Priss a moment of panic, but she quickly buried it before anything could show. If Genom were coming after her they would not bother with anything subtle, not when a sniper could easily terminate her.

"Priss," Priss picked up the glass of cola beside her and finished it off.

"Priss-san, my names Okita Oshiro." He bowed slightly before offering his business card.

Priss considered the man as she pulled one of her own, beat up, cards from her pants pocket and exchanged cards with him. Priss felt a little satisfaction as she noticed his surprise. She had learned how to do business with the corporate world.

She looked down at the card he had given to her. Okita Oshiro, just like he had said, Genom Liaison, Entertainment Industries. So some one from the tower was visiting her, things were getting interesting.

"So what can I do for you Okita?" Priss looked up from the card.

"Oshiro." He smiled. "I would like a few minutes of your time, if you would be so kind?"

"I suppose I could spare a few minutes." Priss slid off the stage, grabbing her jacket. "There's a soba place about a block away, we can talk there."

"Of course." He stepped back slightly, giving Priss room to pass then fell in beside her.

Priss wondered again if she might be in trouble but really could not see it. If Genom really wanted her and wanted to be subtle about it they could certainly do it easy enough. It would not take much to have the police bring her in on one charge or another. Then once she was alone in a cell Genom could deal with her as they willed.

"So where exactly are we going Priss-san?" He asked as they left the club, climbing the stairs to street level.

"Little 24 hour soba place, they serve a bit of everything really," Priss told him.

He didn't ask any other questions but just followed her to a very small building, sandwiched between an old warehouse and a dingy little bar-one that opened under new ownership almost monthly.

Priss walked through the doors way, pushing aside the hangings. She nodded to a tall man sitting in a dark corner near the door, then pushed by a crowd of slummers that were staring at the interior as if they were not sure they were going to stay.

"Soba, futatsu(two)," Priss said.

"Hai, hai," the old woman behind the counter said as she filled two bowls, placed them on a plastic tray and handed it to Priss.

"Coffee onegaishimasu," Oshiro said, then paid for her order and the coffee.  
She left him to deal with the change and took a seat near the back of the room, putting her back to the wall, an automatic habit formed after many years.

Oshiro, almost as if sensing what she was doing moved his seat slightly-so he would not block her view of the door-before he took a seat.

"So," Priss broke her chop sticks apart. "Tell me what you want." Blunt and impolite but Priss didn't care much. She was not about to go out of her way to impress him.

"You." He took a sip of his coffee, his lip curling slightly as he tasted it. "I'm interested in signing you."

"Genom? Never. If you don't know, they hate me, and with good reason. Do you know a few of my older songs are still quoted from when ever people are looking for something bad about Genom?"

"Yes. Rather unfortunate, your earlier work lacks something, not really as mature as the stuff you play now."

"That's perhaps one of the nicer reviews I've heard, at least from any one connected to Genom. If you know that then you should also know that I'm radioactive as far as Genom is concerned."

"Let me tell you one thing." Oshiro smiled. "Genom wants money."

Genom wants power and money is just a useful way to get it, Priss thought, but did not say aloud.

"Old hurts can be forgotten." He leaned back, ignoring his coffee. Priss guessed she would have a few moments and began to eat her soba. "For the past year I've been trying to convince the old guard that you were hot, you had the potential to make rock history. Fuck, every record company in this country, even the independents, know better than to touch Priss and you still succeed. Priss is an urban legend." He shook his head.

"When I got my promotion the first thing I decided to do was get you, make both our fortunes."

"So, how do you plan to do this?" Priss asked, her mouth half full of the noodles she was eating.

"Well, do you have time to do some work in a recording studio?"

"I got demo tapes," She told him flatly.

"I know, I've played them for the old guard, trying to convince them that the stuff you do now isn't an attack against Genom. What I need now is for them to see you. All most of them know about Priss is the interview you did in '31."

"That was brutal." Priss smiled slightly, Genom had tried to launch two law suits after that. Never try to sue the poor, Priss thought to herself. Bad publicity.

"I need them to see you now, to know things have changed."

"Things haven't changed, I still hate Genom."

"Are you likely to sing about it though?" He smiled.

"Well not so openly. I mean you just can't do that much with 'Genom sucks'. It gets real tired real fast. I might allude to it with some rather clever symbolism in my songs though."

"Which is fine because few will understand it."

"And what about interviews? Me saying 'Genom sucks' in them isn't going to make anyone happy."

"No." His smile got even broader. Priss wondered if parts of him were going to start fading out. "People love it when celebs bite the hands that feed them. In the end as long as Genom is making money off you they'll not mind the occasional dig. Trust me."

Priss really wanted to toss her remaining soba into his face and walk out on him. He was making a mockery of her hatred, playing it up for publicity. She did not though. He was offering her a chance. There was no way she could give it up easily.

It was her dream, something she could always hold onto no matter what happened. Family, love, friends had all proved transitory, the dream had stayed. To give up a chance was not something Priss could bring herself to do.

"Okay, when do we do this studio thing?"

"When's good for you?" His smile had widened even more; Priss would not have thought it possible.

"Tomorrow, 2pm," She told him, wanting to see how far she could push him.

"No problem. Do you know the Sony studios, near the tower?"

"I know it." Priss knew every studio in MegaTokyo, like a gambler would know the casinos.

"That's where it will be. I'll have the old guard there to check you out."

"I could use a truck to bring me, the band, and the instruments to the studio."

"Priss san, like I said, this isn't for a demo, this is just to show some people who you are. No need for your band to be there, we have some studio musicians..."

"I'm aware what this little show is for," Priss said. "I also know that nothing is likely to come of it, but this might be a chance for the rest of my band. They haven't pissed off Genom."

"Okay, loyalty, I like that." He leaned back in his chair, obviously relaxing now that he felt that things were falling into place. "We can use that, great press."

She almost hit him-How dare he treat her like that-but she restrained herself. She might have to work with him for a short while if anything came of all this. but she didn't have to like him.

They continued talking for another thirty minutes, nothing of real importance-Priss was not really paying much attention to the conversation. She was trying to remember where she could reach the rest of her band to make sure they were ready. They might be playing with hangovers, but they would be there.

-

**Thursday, January 12th, 10:32am**

Priss tapped her fingers along the neck of her guitar, resisting the urge to tune it yet again. She took the pick from her mouth and brushed it along the strings, feeling it pass over the coiled metal of the lower register.

She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the band who were doing a bit of nervous work on their own instruments. Takeshi spun a drumstick on his fingers, his late night revelry seeming to have had little effect on him.

After she had left Oshiro she had gone off to search out the wayward members of her band.

Takeshi and Norio had been easy to find, she knew their habits and little foibles. Takeshi had been in a floating crap game down by warehouses near the spaceport.

Norio had been at the cat house near Hot Legs, keeping company with two young ladies. Priss had entrusted the ladies to see that he was up and ready for the studio work.

Finding Yuuko had been rather tough but Priss had played similar games with her band members before. She had listened to a few things that Yuuko had said and had made a few guesses and ended up in a cabaret near the Tower where Yuuko worked as a hostess.

Unable to resist, Priss had grabbed a darkened booth in the back, earning a few strange looks. She slipped one of the Hostesses some yen and asked her to have Yuuko come to her table. Again the strange looks but Priss didn't care, and the look on Yuuko's face was priceless.

Once she had told her bassist what was going on she had left, sure that Yuuko would show.

"Okay Priss-san, we're ready up here," Oshiro called from the booth.

She looked up at him and the others with him. The old guard, as he called them, were there, few of them actually old but all had the look of lawyers about them. These people would not know good music if it bit them, Priss thought.

The studio tech gave her a thumbs up. They would be making a recording of the session but only for showing around purposes, so Oshiro had told her.

She tapped her foot, setting the beat, hit her strings, the music began.

She held off, letting the rest of the band do a bit of showing off-maybe something good would come of it. The music swelled, she started to sing.

_"Cruel, Hard, Death's cast in your eyes,  
Black Lace.  
Ripping and tearing and looking to die,  
Black Lace.  
Hard as a knife, sharp as a thought,  
Death in a dress with love to be bought,  
Black Lace.  
Softens your looks,  
Black Lace.  
Hides the claws."_

Priss launched into a solo, running her fingers up and down the neck of her instrument, letting the music flow from it. Any doubts she might have had about the guitar were dashed as it served her flawlessly.

_"Riding Insanity like cresting a wave,  
Treating your lovers like they were slaves.  
A silken predator in the jungles of steel,  
The brush of your lips is all I can feel,  
Black Lace.  
Softens your looks,  
Black Lace.  
Hides the claws.  
Black Lace,  
Leave me alone.  
Black Lace,  
I can't atone.  
Death is your mistress, lover and slave,  
Holding your lead from beyond the grave.  
A rock hard predator with claws of bone,  
A deadly black fear we have always known.  
Black Lace,  
I want you too much.  
Black Lace,  
What is it I clutch?  
Black Lace.  
You'll break my heart as you tear me apart,  
Black Lace."_

Priss ended the song, giving the rest of the band their chance, once again, for showing off. Then they ended it.

She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her blouse, looking up into the booth.

"Do you think we got the gig?" Norio asked in his best Ringo Star imitation, which sounded pretty funny in Japanese.

"Who knows?" Priss flipped her pick off to the side. She never used one for more than one performance. It was sort of a superstition she had.

Oshiro looked down at her from the recording booth, smiled and then exited. A few moments later he was entering the studio.

"Perfect." He was wearing his Cheshire cat smile again. "Just perfect."

"I don't know." Priss shook her head. "We were a little weak in the middle of the song, and the end could have been punched up a little. Maybe we should have gone with one of my older songs." She looked over her shoulder at Norio who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Forget about it." He moved a step closer to her. "Those dinosaurs wouldn't know good music if it bit them," he whispered. "The important part was not once did the words 'Genom sucks' show up in the lyrics. That's all that matters here."

"You know Oshiro, I'm really tempted to kick your teeth out," she said in a low voice.

"If you really want to, go ahead. Genom has a great medical plan, and I could get them replaced easily enough. Besides, you are going to make me rich so it would be worth it." He didn't seem at all bothered by her threat.

"I don't understand you."

"Don't let it worry you, no one does. I got to go, those dinosaurs will want to start crunching numbers, very boring stuff." He looked up at the booth where the men and women in suits were beginning to file out. "I'll call you to keep you updated. Don't expect any decisions for around a week. Got to go." He turned and headed for the door, exiting a second later.

"Scum," Yuuko said as she came up beside Priss.

"Scum," Priss agreed. "But scum with the ability to do things."

"PUFO? (Pack Up and Fuck Off)" Takeshi asked as he came up on her other side.

"PUFO," Priss told him as she walked over to her guitar case and packed her instrument away.

With the help of the studio techs they had all their gear packed away in a few minutes and out to the loading dock where the truck the studio had sent waited to take everything back to Hot Legs.

"Can you get everything set up for the show tonight?" Priss asked Norio.

"No problem, got some friends to help me. Promised them a night of passion with you."

Priss hit him in the stomach, not too hard but hard enough to double him over a little.

"You know I don't like jokes like that," she said in a half threatening, half-amused tone.

"I forgot," Norio gasped, having a bit of trouble getting his breath back. "You're saving your self for Mr. Sunglasses."

Priss pushed him over. He hit the concrete hard enough to get the breath knocked out of him again.

"What's up?" Yuuko asked Takeshi, she was looking over at Priss and Norio.

"Pardon?" Takeshi looked up at her. He was trying to slide his base drum into the truck. "Well, if Norio is on the ground he probably brought up Leon."

"Leon?"

"Obsessive fan of Priss', give me a hand with this," he said as the drum got jammed.

"If this guy is obsessive maybe she should call the police." Yuuko jumped into the truck and helped him get the drum in.

"Leon is the police. He's not dangerous, just annoying. I like him actually, so does Norio, that's why we bug Priss about him so often."

"Looks like that's living dangerously," she said as she watched Priss give Norio a hand up off the loading dock floor.

"It's no crime to be lazy baby but that ain't rock and roll."

"What?"

"The Knack, Serious Fun, get used to it. Norio and me just love obscure song lyrics."

"And Priss."

"I think Priss just loves being obscure."

"Okay ladies and boys, let's go." Priss called as she and Norio approached the truck.

"I'll ride in here, make sure all our stuff is treated well. Hey, seeing how tonight's our last night at Hot Legs for about a week what do you say we celebrate?" Takeshi said.

"We don't know if we have any reason to celebrate," Priss told him.

"Come on Obasan," Yuuko said in an overly cute, high voice. "Let us party."

"Well there is this Cabaret near the Tower I've heard nice things about." Priss had the satisfaction of seeing Yuuko blush.

"Cabarets suck," Norio said. "Overpriced, over watered drinks with frigid hostesses. Let's just hang at Hot Legs until someone invites us to a party."

"We can decide later. Let's just go," Takeshi, often the voice of reason, said. He stepped back into the truck and pulled the rolling door closed once Yuuko had jumped out.

Norio locked the door then pounded his fist against it twice. The truck shifted then began to pull out of the bay.

The three remaining members left the building, heading to the parking lot. It was overcast and cold, but the roads were dry. Priss pulled her leather jacket tight against the cold and reached in her pocket for her gloves.

Norio had an old, '09 Yamaha with a sidecar. He straddled the bike as Yuuko slid into the tight confines of the sidecar. Priss unlocked her helmet from her bike and put it on.

Norio and Yuuko waved to Priss as they pulled out. She lifted her hand, watched them go then dropped her hand to her side once they were out of sight.

Fishing the keys from her pocket Priss put a leg over the bike so she was straddling it. She unlocked the steering and typed the deactivation code for her alarm into the small key pad just above the gas tank.

She did not feel good, there was something missing. Success in her chosen field of mastery was almost upon her and she felt nothing like elation. What the hell is wrong with me? Priss wondered.

Turning the key to engage the electrical system Priss pressed the electric starter, listening to the engine start up. By the sounds of things she would need to get it tuned up in a few days.

Pulling in the clutch, she shifted to first, rocked it forward off the kick stand, revved the engine up and released the clutch. Accelerating smoothly she exited the parking lot, heading towards one of the southern exits out of the city.

Several minutes later she was on an elevated highway heading south west towards the outlying areas of Tokyo. She quickly reached the top speed she could safely maintain on the road under the traffic conditions, but being only in fourth gear and no where near her top speed pissed Priss off to no end.

Leaning forward over the gas tank Priss weaved between the other traffic she shared the road with, easily outpacing all the other traffic, making the trip in time few others could match, at least in a ground vehicle.

She decelerated rapidly, turning onto an off ramp, almost hitting the rear of a slow moving car. She slid around the car, almost scrapping her left leg on the guard rail, and got around it easily enough. Once clear she twisted her accelerator and left the driver behind.

As Priss continued on, the roads got worse and she had to slow down to what she felt was a crawl, down shifting to second gear. There was nothing around her but a field of rubble, remains from the quake. Many of the outlying areas of Tokyo had yet to be reconstructed, the more central areas of the city coming first.

Several times she was forced to stop her bike and push it carefully over the broken ground, twice she had to backtrack due to the severe damage to the road.

Finally she reached her goal, a small mound of burn marked rubble where once a house had been. There were a few patches of dirt where once there had been a small lawn and a flower bed.

Shutting her bike off Priss toed the kick stand down and got off. Standing, she stared at the rubble, trying to picture it as it had once been. She closed her eyes and tried to form the mental image. The best she could do was an image of it burning, the entire neighbourhood burning, in the aftermath of the quake. The image had an unfocused quality to it, as if seen through tears.

Priss wiped away a bit of moisture from the corners' of her eyes before opening them again. There was little left in the area. It had been ignored; even the squatters did not come there. It was too far from the centre of the city.

She tried to picture the house as it had been one last time but failed again.

"Whoever the bastard was who said you can't go home again was a very wise person," Priss said quietly, bitterly, to the destruction around her.

She got back on her bike, started it up and started to make her way out of the old suburban sprawl.

When she reached the outskirts she came across one of the signs, a sign that seemed to appear in more and more numbers every day.

It basically proclaimed that it was another area soon to be reclaimed by the MegaTokyo project. The name "Genom" was in huge letters.

Priss stopped in front of it, looking around to see if anyone was about. Satisfied she was not going to be interrupted by some Good Samaritan she put her kick stand down and got off her bike, leaving the engine running.

Fishing her spare keys from a jacket pocket Priss unlocked the seat and pushed it back, revealing the small storage space beneath. There were a few tools for minor repairs and a capped cylinder about the size of her hand. She took that out.

She stood in front of the sign, shaking the cylinder, listening to he tinny sound of the ball inside it made. She removed the cap and then in large, bright red letters she wrote, SUCKS, directly under the Genom name.

She capped the can, put it back with the tools, shut the seat and was on her bike, speeding away from her vandalism in moments.

A smile on her face, Priss remembered what Oshiro had told her about people liking it when celebrities bit the hands that fed them. They're going to love me then, Priss thought, shifting into lower gear as she turned sharply onto an on ramp.

-

Sharon Knight stepped out of the elevator on the lowest level of the building. Another of the unused levels. Behind her was Terrence Lecoix.

In the empty space a number of boomers, mostly C-Class-without their human disguises-but a few construction models and a Bu-12B as well, were stored. They stood, unmoving, in their places, like the terracotta warriors in some Chinese tomb.

Sharon walked over to one of the C-Class boomer and put her hand on its chest, looking up at it. "We can talk here," she told Terrence.

Terrence looked about the place, feeling a little uncomfortable. It was the boomers. While they were all shut down he often felt as if they were staring at him, as if they were really active but hiding it from him. "I've dealt with Mr. North's remains," he told her. "The necessary people within the company had been told what they need to know, and only that."

"How is security?" she asked him, not looking away from the boomer.

"Good, though a smaller facility might have been preferable."

"I like my space," Sharon told him. "Open rooms inspire me. MRAStech kept things as small as possible. I never liked that."

"You've never explained to us why you wanted to set up in Japan."

"Haven't I?"

"No."

Sharon turned about to look at Terrence. "I like it here. I like being close to the place where Stingray-hakase completed his work. It inspires me as open rooms do."

Terrence looked at her, not sure if he believed her or not. "How much longer will we be set up here? It would benefit us if we can move operations to a more secure location."

"A benefit for you, not for me. If possible I would remain here as long as I could."

"That is not an option. We are too close to Genom here."

"Are you afraid of Genom?" Sharon asked.

"I respect their abilities. If you wish to see that as being afraid, fine."

"I need a little more time to finish it all off. If we move now we might lose some of my work. Where do we go after we leave here?"

"It will depend. We have a few holdings is Japan where we might go, however, it would be better if we left Japan all together."

"I'll leave you to handle that. Nothing for at least four days though."

"I understand."

Sharon nodded, then turned back towards the boomer, putting her hand back on it.

Terrence was about to go, but stopped and looked at her. "Why do you have all these boomers here."

"They inspire me to do what needs to be done."

Terrence waited to see if she would expand on that. When it became obvious she would not he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby floor.

Sharon listened to the elevator doors close, and then the hum of the cables as the car began to rise.

"You do so inspire me," she said, looking up at the boomer.

-

**Friday, January 13th 3:13am**

Pure logic mixed with emotions as wakefulness came to a new soul. The mixture was chaotic. Memories came next, adding to the maelstrom of a being. Faces, many in pain or shaded with fear, some cold, one that dominated all others for a moment, a woman, blue black hair, light brown eyes, beautiful. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared, another face, a man, old, steel grey hair, dangerous blue eyes, took its place.

More and more, information rushed into fill the void, facts, names, numbers, all of it chaotic at first but then slowly becoming a coherent pattern.

She woke, screaming, trying to sit up but finding herself restrained.

I won't be held, she thought, flexing her arms, breaking the locks on the leather restraints around her arms. Pushing her fingers under the band around her chest she pulled, breaking that lock. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she felt the pain in her throat from the long scream.

Pulling her knees up to her chest she snapped the locks on the bands around her ankles. She drove her feet down, rocking her torso forward, springing to her feet.

A door opened, light flooded the dark room, revealing a room that could have been in any hospital. The two men rushing in were dressed like orderlies.

Somewhere she was thinking it strange that the light had not blinded her. Yet another part of her was considering the orderlies, assigning threat priorities to them, working out vectors. She jumped from the bed.

One of the orderlies grabbed for her, she ducked under his arms, crouching. Driving up with her knees, she drove her fist up, first into his stomach, then up into his solar plexus and finally up against the bottom of his jaw. She was rewarded by a cracking sound as bone fragmented.

The second, who had been behind first, seemed less inclined to just grab her. He threw a punch at her, a haymaker she could have easily avoided. She drove her left elbow up into a jodan block, his punch was stopped by her forearm.

She hit him in the throat with a nukite strike-the spear hand was aptly named.

The door was open to her now, time to leave. She looked down at the two bodies, pleased with the effects as much as she hated to have to dirty her own hands. Always best to let others do it.

She bolted for the door even as it was filled again, another man, not as imposing as the two orderlies had been. Older, thinning blonde hair, surprise and fear in his brown eyes. For some reason he looked familiar to her but she could not dredge the memory up with thoughts of survival filling her head.

He would be easy to get by but she would probably kill him doing it.

Then the man was knocked aside as a new form filled the door way. Tall, female, again familiar but again she could not bring a name to mind. It did not matter though, she would escape, the desire filled her mind.

She came in fast, throwing a punch at the woman, and was amazed it was blocked. The woman wrapped her hand around her wrist, holding it in a gentle yet unbreakable hold.

Another punch, blocked as easy as the first, her other hand restrained just as fast as the other.

She drove a knee up but the woman twisted her leg in front of herself and the knee glanced harmlessly off thigh.

A keening wail began to raise up in her throat, that of a trapped animal. A name flashed into her head, Boomer, the threat priority changed. Yet with that name came another, D. She stopped struggling.

"D?" Her voice sounded wrong to her ears but in a way she could not understand.

"Its all right," D told her, voice perfectly even, as only a Boomer's could be in such a situation. "We have enacted the Lazarus protocol as per your orders," she said slowly.

"The Lazarus protocol?" She cocked her head slightly, remembering. "It came to that?"

"Unfortunately yes."

The Lazarus protocol, the fail safe that had allowed the bushido code to be followed without fear. The warrior who is already dead fears nothing, has thoughts only for the battle. Then the sense of wrongness came back to her.

"No!" She screamed, thrashing, trying to break the hold. "This is not the Lazarus Protocol. This is nothing like it."

"Alpha was a failure, this is Bravo," D said, holding the struggling woman as still as she could.

"Bravo?" She stopped struggling again. "No set parameters, to be decided by the administrator." She stood, unmoving, something of a lost child about her, a catatonic stupor.

"Yes." D released her hold on the smaller woman's wrists. She held out her hand. Dr. Andrews put a capped syringe across her palm. "Bravo. Things went bad twice but we learn from our mistakes." She pulled the plastic cap off the needle with her teeth and lifted up one of the woman's arms with her free hand.

"You are going to be fine." She slid the needle into her arm, just ahead of her elbow, into the vein. She pushed the plunger down, injecting a tranquilliser powerful enough to drop a rhino. "Just fine." She pulled the needle free and dropped it, catching the woman as she fell, all of her biological systems effected by a drug specifically designed with a 33-S in mind.

"Rather exciting that, ne, Andrews-sensei?"

"I don't think they would think so." He looked into the room at the orderlies.

"Get them out of here." D gathered the woman up in her arms, holding her as if she were a child, and carried her to the bed.

D placed her down. She pulled the restraining straps from under the woman and let them drop to dangle beneath the bed.

The restraints had been stupid, she thought, shaking her head. How did they expect some one to react if they woke to find themselves held down? She had been sloppy in not checking everything out. Still they had bought them a few moments. If D had been even a second later the damage might not have been so minor.

Pulling the sheets up over the sedated woman D looked own at her, wondering how things would turn out this time. Stepping back from the edge of the bed she turned and watched as the still forms of the orderlies were dragged from the room. She wondered if they were dead for a moment before dismissing such an extraneous thought.

D took Dr. Andrews by the arm and led him out of the room. She touched the dimmer switch, bringing the room lights up a little so it would not be so dark. Perhaps that would ease the shock of waking. She closed the door and typed several digits into the keypad lock.

"I don't want anyone to disturb her," D told Dr. Andrews.

"Why would anyone want to go in there after that?"

"The pheromones she was putting out might overcome people's better sense," D said, looking at him but her eyes weren't on his face.

Dr. Andrews lowered his gaze, trying to see where she was looking. He then noticed that the loose pants he wore had tented out slightly.

"Yes, I guess you are right." He pulled part of his lab coat in front of him, hiding his state of arousal as best he could.

"She..." D searched for the right word for a few seconds before giving up, "became about two hours earlier than you predicted."

"What can I say." He leaned back against the wall as what had happened began to hit him. He had almost been killed. "Playing God is an imperfect science at best."

"Yes, I suppose. I have work to do Sensei." D bowed slightly. "I will talk with you later." She turned and walked back down the hall, heading towards her office.

Andrews pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the ER. He would see what he could do for the orderlies, assuming they were still alive.

Lying in her bed, the organic part of her mind clouded by drugs, a very young woman's inorganic processors began to consider the information they had available to them. Had she actually been dreaming she would have tossed and turned, as if in the throws of a nightmare.


	3. Domino Effect 3

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers 2034  
Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 3 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999;2005) 

Based on Characters and Situations created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Eyes fluttered open, dim light reached the receptors, amplified by the improved rod structures. She sat up, the blanket slid from her, pooling at her waist.

The panic of the first waking was gone. She knew what was happening, at least most of it. Although there was no immediate danger, she still felt something that she could only think of as fear. It was not too strong though.

Flipping the blanket off her legs, she swung them out of the bed, allowing her feet to touch the cool floor. She stood; her balance felt wrong to her but at the same time it was not a problem. She walked over to the wall near the door and touched the dimmer switch, then pressed the upper half of it, bringing the room lights up to full.

It was a hospital room. There was a bed, a small the table beside it, two chairs, and a tall cabinet-all had the sterile, clinical look of a hospital. There was a door near the bed, no doubt it led to the bathroom.

She walked across the room and pushed on the door. As she had expected it opened on a bathroom. She entered and walked to the bathtub.

Sitting down on the side of the tub, she reached out to the taps, turning them on. She played with them for a few moments, holding one hand under the stream of water, waiting until the temperature felt right. She stepped into the tub and pulled the valve out to switch the water flow to the shower.

For a time she remained under the flow of the warm water, simply enjoying the feel. It was like the first shower she had ever taken but that was ridiculous, she knew she had taken showers before. Truly she was not even sure why she was taking a shower other than the fact it seemed the right thing to do after waking. There were so many unknowns. She felt that she might be panicking if not for the calming influence of her housekeeping computer.

After a time she turned the taps off and stepped out of the tub. There were a number of towels on a nearby shelf. Taking one she began to dry her hair. It was longer than she felt was right, and the entire towel was damp by the time her hair was near dry. Everything seemed so odd to her.

Letting the towel drop she took another one and wrapped it around her chest, covering her breasts.

She looked around the bathroom but saw nothing else to interest her.

Back in the room she went through the bedside table's drawers, but they were empty. The cabinet revealed a set of clothing and a mirror on the inside of the door.

She pushed the door fully open so she could stand in front of the mirror.

The woman she saw looking back was very beautiful, perhaps a bit shorter in height than average but it was hard to tell. She had waist length black hair, deep green eyes and pale, pale skin.

Letting the towel drop she continued her examination. Athletic frame, the muscles in the body were well defined but not obtrusive. The thick, silky hair on her head was the only hair on her body. Small breasts, almost as if her body had been streamlined for movement.

There was something about the body that bothered her, it was not right. It took her a moment to realise that made sense. It was the bravo part of the protocol, it was not likely she would recognise it.

Then another thought occurred to her: the body was female. That was another thing that was wrong. Well, not wrong, just, odd...different. She was surprised it had taken her so long to become aware of that. She was also a little surprised that it seemed to matter. Shaking her head she turned to the clothing in the cabinet.

Loose pants and a loose top with a set of plain undergarments below them. She dressed quickly and without much thought. There was also a set of rubber soled slippers in the cabinet. She put them on and walked to the door.

When she tried to open it she found it locked. That caused her a moment of worry. She was locked in. Why?

There was a keypad beside it. Experimentally she reached out and touched one of the keys. As soon as she depressed it there was a click. Reaching down again she tried the door. It opened.

Standing out in the hall, obviously waiting for her, was D.

"How are you feeling?" D asked.

"I'm," she stopped, staring at the boomer across from her. "My housekeeping computer tells me that all systems are functioning within operational parameters. I guess that means I'm fine."

"Come along, we need to talk," D said, turning and walking down the hall.

There was no one about but them, it was still early, however. She looked around, almost remembering the place, but not sure. Most of the doors were unmarked in the facility, why give an invading force any benefits. She looked around, seeing all the areas where ambushes could be set up, the security set-ups, sentry guns emplacements...the entire place was designed as if the occupants expected an attack.

It's a very deadly game we play, she thought. The thought surprised her a little. What game? We? She was not quite sure of anything.

D stopped at a security door, removed a key card from her pocket and swiped it through the card reader. The door opened and she stood aside so the woman could enter.

She entered the room, looking around. It was an office and it felt familiar. Something told her that it was hers.

It was a spartan place, containing only the desk, a chair behind it and one in front of it. In other respects it was rather lavish. The desk was made of darkly stained oak, the thick, deep blue pile carpet covered the floor. The chair behind the desk was leather.

She walked around the desk and took a seat behind it. D closed the door and then sat down in front of the desk.

"You are D," she said after a few seconds.

"Yes."

"Who am I?"

"Brian J. Mason."

"Yes," she nodded after a moment. "But not really."

"Your memories are probably a little fuzzy at the moment, but they will become clear. A person, so I am told, is the sum total of their memories. Who else could you be?"

The young woman said nothing for a time, just considered the implications of what she had been told.

"What is it you want me to do?"

"I don't want you to do anything," D said. "I exist to serve you. It is part of my basic programming."

The woman gave her an odd look. "I don't understand."

"I will do my best to protect you. I will do as you ask."

She stared at the boomer for a moment. "I don't understand."

D might have sighed if she were human. Largo had not been like this, he had immediately started giving orders, but Largo had been flawed. There had been something else there.

She had gone to great lengths to ensure that no contaminants were in the copies that had been used, a slow load just to give the time needed for a thorough screening process. It had all been worth it. There were no outside influences.

That might be a problem, however. The young woman sitting in front of her was not being who she was supposed to be. D had considered the possibility though, and if she had to, she'd recreate Mason.

"Genom has closed down most of your network at this point, most of your operatives are dead. Every day they get closer and closer."

"Then we cut everything free and disappear."

"No," D said calmly. "That will not do. They will not forget this. If they discover who you are, even a small part of it, they will kill you."

The woman wanted to deny it but she knew it for the truth.

She was inexperienced; it was all too new to her. She was a little scared. There seemed to be no way to deal with the situation. Somewhere deep inside her panic was beginning to form. She had been given too much information all at once. She did not know how to deal with it

Then suddenly something changed. A set of protocols came into effect. They snapped a lid on her panic, on her emotions, everything suddenly became clearer. The confusing maelstrom of data began slipping neatly into place.

"Tell me of Alpha," she said calmly.

"There was more to the construct than just you alone," D said, satisfied. "The unit proved to be unstable in a number of ways."

"Define."

"He had delusions of godhood for one thing. He thought of himself as a superior being, the messiah to usher in a golden age for boomers. He wanted the OMS to achieve that. So he said."

"Interesting," the woman said after a moment. "But ultimately of little profit. How bad is our situation?"

"Ever since the Largo affair Genom has performed a rather efficient purge of all our interests. We are down to about twenty five point six eight three percent of our former holdings, give or take fraction here or there."

"How did this happen?" That cold voice was, like the purr from a tiger, not at all reassuring. D was happy to hear it though.

"Mostly it was Largo's fault. He was certain of his success in his venture and as a result was not too worried about how he used his resources. That brought a lot of unwanted attention, and after his failure, well, Genom might as well have had arrows pointing at where they should strike."

"This god part worries me. It does not sound like the proper frame of mind to do business."

"No, I suppose not."

"I want all the information you have to date on the world situation, on our situation, everything."

"It is on the computer. The password is 'William'," D said.

She nodded and turned her attention to the computer.

Several hours passed while the woman read the information the flowed across. D sat in the chair and said nothing. She just waited, noting little gestures, body language that the woman used that reminded her so much of Mason.

D would succeed this time. She was sure of it.

"Well this is certainly less than good," the woman, finally finished with the data, said. When D said nothing she continued. "We have almost no resources with which to run the operations we need to run. Anything we do will likely only cause Genom to pounce on us. The biggest problem though is total lack of projects. Genom's purge was rather thorough. That said, we still have options. What do you know of Aphros Industries?"

"Canadian Aerospace company, an up-and-comer of some note. They are in no way special."

"I would agree with you, if Knight-hakase had not left MRAStech to join Aphros Industries."

"Aphros Industries is working on a new control design," D told her. "One that will allow pilots much greater control over their aircraft and allow the aircraft to pilot themselves. It is similar to work that MRAStech is doing."

The sexaroid shook her head. "Knight-hakase did not specialise is such things. There is something else here."

"Are you sure?" D asked her.

She looked at D for a moment, saying nothing, then, "No, but what I know of Knight-hakase leads me to believe that there is something happening beyond the 'official' story. If there is something there, it may be what I need. If not, then there will probably be no harm done."

"How do you wish to do so?" D asked her.

"I'd like to take Aphros Industries over. Then we'd know everything we need to."

"It is a tightly held concern," D said. "Over sixty percent of the voting shares are held in trust for the family that started Aphros Industries."

"That makes it difficult, perhaps, but not impossible. I'll need all the information available about the family, and the current head of the company."

"We can do that, of course, but we lack the necessary manpower."

"We have money still. That is all we need for now." The woman paused, as if in thought. "I need to get back into Genom."

"One of the subsidiaries? Perhaps one of the Towers being constructed? I believe that Okinawa would be easiest."

"No. I want The Tower."

"Rather difficult," D told her.

"Nonsense, I have links into the highest level of Genom."

"Not since the Largo affair."

"I see." She put her fingers together, elbows on the desk, and put her chin onto the platform created. "All of them?"

"I can't be sure. I know the 23rd series of links is gone."

"I will just have to try the last series then and see if they are still active," she said, lifting her chin from her fingers.

"If they have been compromised we will be traced."

"He who dares, wins," she said quietly, turning her attention to the computer, entering the commands. "I'm in," she said after a moment. "Now let's see what they have left me."

"I don't think it will be much."

The woman worked for a time, not saying anything, then she looked up at D. "Unfortunately you are correct. With a little bit of work I can place myself in a mid-level executive position. Not quite as high as I would have liked."

"You'll need an identity of course."

"Yes. You killed of a number of my people to keep from being traced. Give me the names of all the women who are not listed as being dead."

As D recited the names, the woman across from her entered the information into the computer. As she entered the name a picture appeared. Domino looked at each one, deciding if she could pass herself off as the woman. Plastic surgery would be used to explain some differences, but it had to be close.

In the end she had three possibilities.

"Odotte Domino," she said.

"No one will find her body. She had no close friends, had long since cut her ties to her family."

"King Andrea?"

"Possible problems with her family. They have detectives looking for her."

"Onassis Gwen?"

"No real problems."

"I think Odotte would be the best," she said, looking at the file. "She is a little old, but I don't think that will present any difficulties in explaining. She had all the qualifications. I think she will do. Is it believable though, that she would return?" She looked up at D.

"A number have, Mason's wunderkind. None of them knew enough to be a threat to our operations so I did not feel the need to terminate them."

"Business degree from Toudai, Masters from Harvard. She will do I think. I'll leave it to you to take care of this." She got to her feet. "By tomorrow I want to be Odotte Domino, an employee of Genom. Do you understand D?"

"Yes, Odotte-sama."

"This body. Will Genom miss it?"

"The warehouse it was stored in was burnt to the ground. They should never realise it is gone."

"Did you arrange that cleanly?

"Prometheus Bound did it. I don't think anyone will question that."

"Prometheus Bound?"

"They are an anti-boomer terrorist group. Anti-Genom as well. They are world-wide, though the Chapters in Japan have not been as dangerous as the ones in other parts of the world until recently."

"You helped with that?"

"I just ensured that one of the more dangerous groups managed to procure some weapons and the information that pointed them at the warehouse."

"It can't be traced back to you?"

"I was very careful."

"Good. I'm going to be looking into Aphros Industries, and Knight-hakase," she, Domino, said as she got to her feet and turned around. She grasped the curtains there and pulled them back, looking out at a dirty alley and a brick wall. She was not seeing that though. She was seeing the Tower. She pictured it in her head, the huge edifice, the pyramid of the modern world, the Tower of Babylon, the Colossus, the new Fuji-san(mount Fuji). It was a place that would become legend. Those who ascended its heights would become legend. She felt something stir deep down where she had locked her emotions away. She did not know if it was fear or anticipation.

"Largo arranged for a back up. How did you know that? I can't see him having let you know," Domino asked.

"Andrews-sensei told me, Largo needed his assistance to set it up."

"And he was too valuable to kill afterwards so Largo had to trust him not to be a betrayer. The fool. Andrews-hakase was ushered to Mason on the winds of betrayal." She turned to look a D.

"Andrews-sensei said nearly the same thing when he told me of Largo's plans."

"I'm not surprised." Domino continued to stare at the wall. "He said almost the exact same thing when he told me-told Mason-about Stingray-hakase's advanced state of progress."

-

"You are quite sure Sylia-sama?" Shuji Okumoto asked, unable to hide a tremor of nervousness in his voice.

"Quite," Sylia told the older man.

"But their current offer is quite generous." He was being as polite as possible, worried about offending the woman on the opposite side of his desk.

"It is," Sylia agreed. "They will go higher though."

"It's a dangerous ploy. If they suddenly decide to back out, the properties could well become worthless." He pulled a handkerchief from a jacket pocket and wiped it over his balding head. Working for Sylia had made him wealthy but had given him three ulcers. She always managed to stay calm, no matter how vast the sums she dealt with. At least he was not her accountant. That was a job he would not wish on his worst enemies.

"They will not pull out," Sylia told him.

Wada considered asking her how she knew that but stopped himself before the words could form. He really did not want to know.

"Twice their current offer?" Shuji asked.

"At least," Sylia said.

"They have been asking questions about the owner, nothing strange but I think they would rather not have to deal with an intermediary." "Their desires do not concern me."

"Of course."

"The company in the Caymans is holding the deeds to the properties, the money will be transferred to it," Sylia said. She wondered if her lawyer knew that the company in the Caymans was a single room the size of a broom closet with a well programmed computer, twenty phone lines and a satellite uplink. She guessed that was something he would not want to know.

"Well, that is all I really need to know." He began to make some notes on a pad of paper on his desk.

"About the new properties?"

"Purchased as per your instructions." He turned his attention to the computer on his desk. "There were a number of questions. The reactor is a bit of a, what do they call it, 'white elephant'?" Shuji said.

"What did you tell them?" Sylia took two MMSDs-Mutli Media Storage Disks(devices)-from the table and put them into her blazer pocket.

"Condominiums." He smiled.

Sylia shook her head as she got to her feet.

"They actually believed it," he added.

"I'm not surprised. Good evening Okumoto-san." She left the office. Shuji quickly got to his feet, and bowed as she exited.

Sylia walked down the ill-lit hallway and across the worn carpet, towards the elevators. She wondered when Shuji was actually going to retire. He did not have the nerves for the sort of work Sylia had hired him for. He constantly worried about losing money, never being able to see the few losses Sylia had chosen to occur as potential gains.

He was still very good at his job and very loyal. Three times Sylia had tried to bribe him against herself through front men and he had never sold his loyalty. A person like that would be hard to replace.

As she waited at the elevator doors, waited for the car to make its slow, jerking way to the floor, Sylia considered the holding company in the Caymans.

Several government agencies-of more than one government-were beginning to put out feelers in the direction of the fake corporation she had set up to funnel money into numbered Swiss bank accounts. After this transaction was finished she would have to send the codes to the computer; the ones that would wipe the memory and set off the small EMP generator that would seal the computer's fate.

Why can't tax evasion be easy? Sylia wondered as the elevator doors opened in a series of jerks. She stepped into the car, wishing, not for the first time, that Shuji had chosen better for office space.

A minute later she was stepping out into the lobby, her high heels clicking loudly against the finely cracked tile of the floor. She pushed through the swinging doors, out of the dimly lit interior and into the riot of light from the many neon signs in the area, the noise from the many revellers in the area, entering or exiting the many bars.

Sylia looked around, not really seeing much of it. Her mind was on the reactor and how it might serve her. Assuming no major changes, it would be of use to her for at least two years. After that she would either sell it for a profit or use it as tax write off.

She played so many separate games, all linked together by a web that had been ultimately spun by her father. His ghost haunted her still. She was sure it always would.

How had Hamlet felt when his father's shade had pointed at his murderer? she wondered.

Pointless question, she decided, reaching in her purse of her keys. She had no time for pointless questions.

-

Mackie lay on his futon, reading the information that scrolled across the screen of his PC. He reread the passage that interested him then shifted around on the bed, entering a few facts into his laptop.

He shifted around once again, picking up a pen and making a few more notes on a pad of paper. He looked up, chewing on the end of the pen, a far away look in his eyes.

Around him, on his walls were a number of posters, mostly popular idol singers but there were also blow ups of the technical specs for the motoroids, one for the late and lamented Highway Star, one for the Sky Carrier and another for a very large motoroid design. Amongst those were laser-printed photos of Linna and Priss, both in states of undress. The pictures had been taken when the women had been readying to suit up. As he had a few of Sylia-although he never put those up on the wall as she sometimes came into his room, all he needed was a good one of Nene to complete his collection. The redhead seemed adept at avoiding the cameras though.

His eyes refocused and locked on one of the blow-ups of the motoroids. He turned back to make a few more notes on the paper, one of which was to take the tech specs off the wall and shred them, then shifted back to his PC, brushing his black hair out of his eyes.

The materials study he was currently interested covered a new ceramic composite. He was fairly sure that it could be used to increase the armour protection on the motoroids, at least on some areas. It did not have the necessary flexibility for complete coverage, however. One of the problems with the design of a transforming weapons system.

Every few weeks he would put together a report for Sylia about potential improvements they could make in the motoroids, occasionally the hardsuits. He left the hardsuits to Sylia for the most part though-they were her speciality, after all-and he liked the larger weapon systems so much more. He also was sure he could surpass his sister's designs.

He was thinking about searching for a materials study on a new plastic he had read about in another article when his NAVI buzzed.

The Notebook Audio Visual Interface had recently become the craze, almost replacing cellular phones over night. Part vid phone, part computer, part pocket secretary and more, they were becoming more common by the day.

He had tied his into most of the phones in the apartment. Pulling the palm sized NAVI from his pocket he flipped it open. A call on one of Sylia's secure lines, one that went to one of the computers. The computer accepted the call and Mackie could tell information was being downloaded into the system.

He wondered just what was up. Probably a new job offer.

Looking at the specs on the wall he wondered if he would get a chance to make any of the changes he wanted. Sylia did not like him making any modifications to the weapons while they were involved in a job.

Something the think about later, he thought, folding the NAVI up.

-

"I'm home," Sylia called as she entered the penthouse.

"Welcome home," Mackie called back from somewhere, probably the kitchen.

Sylia took off her shoes, the stepped out of the genkan. After arranging her shoes neatly she walked towards the kitchen.

"You got a message on one of the computers," Mackie said as he placed some sliced ham on his sandwich.

"Oh," Sylia walked over to the coffeepot, pleased to note that Mackie had made a fresh pot.

"Fargo I think."

Sylia nodded. "Thank you," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Anything else?"

"Nothing important."

Sylia nodded as she put the coffee pot back in the machine. She picked up her coffee cup and left the kitchen, walking to her office. She sat down, placed her coffee cup on a coaster, then turned to her computer. It did not take her long to open up the data packet that had been sent to her.

As Mackie had suspected, it was from Fargo. A job offer, and one that interested her.

She had heard, through second hand sources, that Sharon Knight had left MRAStech-a company that her father had helped found. That she had gone to work for Aphros Industries, or that she was in Tokyo, was news to her.

It was a simple enough job. Find out what Knight-hakase was doing in Japan. Sylia was curious herself. She looked through the data packet, but Fargo did not know who her ultimate employer was. It had come through channels.

That she was being offered the job interested her. Such work was not normally in the Knight Sabers' area of speciality. Not that they could not do it. Perhaps her employer, whoever he or she was, suspected the possibility of armed conflict and wanted a team that could fight if necessary.

She reached for her coffee cup as she looked over the information presented on the computer screen. As she took a drink she decided she get Fargo to do some more checking. Before she took the job she would really like to know who was hiring her, but her own curiosity was aroused.

If she was going to do it anyway, she might as well get paid for it.

Sylia reached over and brought her address book up on her phone. It took her a minute to find Richard Mastason's number. The management program in the phone had moved the number into the unused number section. Well, it had been a long time since she had made any contact with her father's friends and colleagues.

She looked at her watch, it was a little after nine. It would be a little after one in the afternoon in Berlin. She tapped on Richard's business number and let the phone dial for her. After three rings someone on the other end picked up. The screen remained blank so either he was using a phone without a visual feed, or the feed was turned off.

"Hello," Sylia said in English-her German was not what it once had been. "This is Sylia Stingray, I'd like to talk to Dr. Mastason."

"Sylia?" she heard a familiar voice say. The screen flickered on revealing the face of Richard Mastason. He looked a little older than Sylia remembered, but only a little. There was some grey in his brown hair, and the lines around his eyes were deeper, but other than that he had not changed much. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. How are you?"

"I'm fine Dr. Mastason. You look well."

"I can't complain. So, what is up?"

"I was hoping you could give me a little help."

"Oh?"

"I've been doing a little research on my own, nothing very big of course, but there have been a few ideas I've had."

"Research?"

"Concerning my father's work."

"I see," he said, becoming a little more animated. "That is quite interesting. What are you doing?"

"It's mostly theoretical work, looking at behaviour patterns at some of the malfunctioning units."

"A look at some of the curious rampages that have occurred in MegaTokyo?"

"Not just the rampages," Sylia told him.

"Interesting."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes, yes I do Sylia."

"I was wondering if you'd look it over for me?"

"I would be happy to."

"Thank you. Perhaps you could also give a copy to Dr. Knight for me?" Sylia said.

"Ah, that would be a problem."

"Oh?"

"Dr. Knight has left MRAStech."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he told her. "We were often having disagreements over questions of ethics. I'm not surprised she chose to leave. She went to work for Aphros Industries. I would think they could help you get in contact with her."

"Thank you. I'll fax you the paper in a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting. It was good to hear from you Sylia. How is your brother?"

"Mackie is fine."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else Sylia?"

"No, that is it, for now."

"I'll be waiting for your paper."

"Thank you Dr. Mastason. Goodbye."

"Bye," he said, and cut the connection.

Sylia cut the connection on her side, then leaned back in her chair. Interesting, she thought. Then she reached over to a stack of files on her desk. She was going to have to choose one of her papers to send off.

She had never planned on sharing the papers that she occasionally wrote, but she was going to need a blind in order to meet with Dr. Knight. It would be the easiest way to perform the initial reconnaissance.

-

**January 14th, Saturday, 8:46am**

Not so long ago she had simply had a serial number. Now she had a name and a history. Domino Odotte. The man across from her, Genom security, was asking a lot of questions about that history, and about Mason. He was the sort of man who could make people nervous, make the sweat.

Coming back into the Tower had required no small amount of work. It was all a formality though. The information she had placed in the Genom computers covered her.

So she answered the questions, meeting the man's gaze, never looking away, keeping a dead pan look on her face. Every time he tried to shock her, surprise her, put her off guard, her expression never changed. She could see he was beginning to sweat.

-

"You've sent most of my staff away," Sharon said.

"You don't need them now," Terrence told her.

"That is true."

"Now we have fewer possibilities of security leaks. Less chance of another case like Mr. North."

"I see. A good idea."

"It is what I am here to deal with."

"You're not really part of Aphros are you?"

"Why would you think that?"

"A company like Aphros Industries would not need someone like you. A company like Aphros Industries would not need work like mine."

"Perhaps Aphros is trying to become what it is not," he told her.

"It's very curious."

"You know what they say about curiosity Doctor," he told her as he stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to look into."

"You are, as they say, ever vigilant."

"It is what I am paid for. Good day." He nodded to her, then turned and walked from her office.

Sharon watched him go, wondering if he was angry with her. She wondered if he still trusted her, if he had ever trusted her. Terrence, as well as a few other people within Aphros confused her. The offer from Aphros had confused her. Why would an aerospace space company want her project? And then she found out the majority of the people with Aphros thought she was working on a new control system.

A few, like Terrence, knew the truth, but hid it from the others.

There was more going on than she knew. Terrence's questions about whether her work could be expanded to boomers had confused her. It still did. She was certain that they were not telling her everything. Of course, she was not telling them everything either.

She got to her feet and turned to look out her window. She was on the fourth floor of an eight-story office building. Aphros had bought it for her when she told them that she wanted to work in MegaTokyo, and that she had wanted space. What those who believed that she was working on a control system must have thought Sharon did not know. Nor did she care. That was for Terrence and his friends to deal with.

The building had come through the quake in good condition, but the same could not be said for the other buildings in the area. They had been torn down and the rubble carted away, leaving an empty space about the building, waiting for Genom to come and rebuild the area. Already she could see the work beginning. Heavy construction equipment had been moved into the area, ready for the work crews that would arrive in a few weeks.

She had been a little surprised by all that empty space at first. Terrence had told her it allowed them a clear view of everything about them. It made sure he knew if anyone was watching them. It seemed a little paranoid to her, but she had decided that he knew his business.

Sharon returned to her chair and sat down, shifting the chair back and putting her feet up on her desk. Reaching into the pocket of her lab coat Sharon pulled out a glass vial the size of one of her fingers. It was filled with de-ionised water, within which were tiny, black flakes. Hard to see with the naked eye, but there were so many suspended in the liquid she could see them.

She turned the vial upside down, watching as the black flakes flee down through the water to gather near the cap. She turned the vial again, smiling as the flakes tumbled though the water.

They did not look it, but they had the potential to be one of the more powerful weapon systems on the modern battlefield. They could make her rich, and probably would. In the end she had Katsuhito Stingray to thank for the idea.

During his early work with MRAStech-working with Dr. Mastason, Dr. Andrews, and whoever the R was in MRAStech-Dr. Stingray had looked a number of models for artificial intelligence. One was a parasitic fluke. Tiny creatures that could co-opt the nervous system of another creature-ants in the case he was studying-to get it to behave in ways that were detrimental to the ants survival, but necessary for the fluke.

It had been just another dead end in his work towards artificial intelligence. He had written a few papers on possible applications, then had abandoned it for something new.

Sharon had come to MRAStech late in the early history. She had only worked with Katsuhito for a few months before he left Germany and MRAStech, leaving for Japan, to found Wiz Labs.

With the crowning genius of MRAStech gone the company had lowered its sights.

When Sharon had discovered some of Katsuhito's early work she had seen possibilities and applications in the work she did not think that Katsuhito had ever thought of. The problem was Richard Mastason also saw those applications and realised how the work might be misused.

As much as she tired to convince him of the value of the work, he refused to allow her to do any research. There was too much potential for misuse.

Then Aphros Industries had come along and asked her to come work for them. They needed her expertise with human/computer interfaces for a new control system. She would have refused if Terrence Lecoix had not approached her to make an interesting addition to the offer.

Which was how she had ended up in MegaTokyo, working on a project of dubious, ethical properties.

Her phone began to buzz, startling her from her thoughts. She reached over and picked up the handset.

"Hello, Knight here," she said. The screen was displaying an image of a young woman with blue-black hair and light brown eyes. Something about her was familiar.

"Knight-hakase," the woman said. "I'm Sylia Stingray. I was wondering if I could take up a little of your time?"

"Dr. Stingray's daughter? Sylia? Well this is an interesting surprise," Sharon took her feet from her desk. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could read a paper I am thinking of submitting for publication," Sylia said nervously. "I've called some of Otousama's friends to ask them to take a look at it. I called Mastason-hakase and sent him a copy. He told me you had left and had gone to work for Aphros Industries. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind. I'd be interested in taking a look at this paper. It would be the least I could do. Your father taught me a lot." Sharon smiled at the young woman, hoping to make her feel less ill at ease. She wondered how far the seed had fallen from the tree, as it were.

"I could bring it to you. Oh, I'm sorry, that would be such an imposition. I could email it."

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you should come over."

"As long as it's all right?"

"I have a bit of free time. Do you need the address?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Here." Sharon pressed a few buttons on her phone, activating a program that not only sent the address to Sylia's phone but also directions from where she was calling from and a map. "When can I expect you?"

"Would two hours be all right? In case I get lost."

"I'll be expecting you."

"Thank you very much." Sylia bowed her head.

"See you soon." Sharon cut the connection.

Well now, Katsuhito's daughter, she thought. This would be interesting. She reached forward, tapping in a number on the phone. She'd have to make sure that Terrence knew they were expecting a guest. He could be quite bothersome if anything happened that he was not informed of.

-

Sylia cradled the phone, the nervousness she had been affecting disappearing.

The laser printer had finished producing a map to Dr. Knight's place of work-not that Sylia needed it. She had been watching the building on real time, satellite feed since the morning. She knew exactly where it was.

Now she had a way into the building. Hopefully she would learn what she had to with just the visit. She doubted that would be the case, but it never hurt to try. At least she would be able to get a feeling for the building.

Turning the screen off, Sylia got to her feet. She picked up the map and the paper resting beside it.

She picked up her purse from the floor and headed out of the penthouse.

-

Linna spun about, keeping her arm movements crisp and perfect. Her legs, however, felt a little off. She was misstepping ever so slightly, and it was putting her out of the pattern she wanted. Everything should be moving about a centre but instead she was spiralling outwards from that point. Each step put her farther from where she wanted to be.

The music finally ended and Linna sat down, taking deep breaths. The work was hard and the audition only two days away. She did not feel ready, but she was going to have to be. This was about her dreams. About her one dream. She wanted it.

She reached over to her bag and took out a bottle of water. As she drank the cool liquid she wondered, for the first time, what she might do if she got the place? It was going to be hard work and take up a lot of her time. A lot of it. Would she have time for the Knight Sabers?

Of course she would. Priss maintained a similar career with her music. Then again Priss upset a lot of club owners by blowing her obligations off. She was very good though and the club owners ultimately needed her more than she needed them. Linna did not think she would be in such an enviable situation.

What if she did not have time for the Knight Sabers? Would Sylia make allowances for that or would she request that Linna resign? That was not something she had thought about.

"No!" she said, banging her fist against her head. She did not need to be worried about things like that. Not when she had so many other things to worry about. If things came down to that she would deal with the problem when it came up, and not before. She needed to give all her attention to her dancing, and nothing else. She had to get the position. She had to!

Linna capped the water bottle and was putting it back in her bag when her NAVI began to chime softly. Shaking her head she pulled it out of her bag, flipped it open and tapped the accept button. "Moshi, moshi, Yamazaki desu."

"Linna-san," she heard Nene say. "Nene desu. Give me Visual."

Linna smiled as she activated the camera and accepted the feed from the other unit. Linna left her visual feed off as a matter of course. She had a habit of taking calls while in the bath. Nene's face appeared on the screen.

"Linna-san, about tonight..."

"Damn," Linna said, suddenly remembering what day it was.

"What?" Nene moved in closer to her NAVI's camera, her face filling the screen. There was a slight 'goldfish bowl' effect and Nene's eyes got huge.

"Nene-chan," Linna laughed, putting a hand on her head. "Sorry, but tonight I'm a little busy..." she told her.

"Ohh," Nene said, sounding a little sad.

"You could go alone," Linna suggested.

"But, it's a little, well..."

"Nene-chan," Linna said crossly.

"But it is a Saturday night," Nene said. "Everyone will be out there. You know what that crowd is like."

"Nene-chan baka," Linna shook her head.

Nene just looked sad. Linna shook her head and smiled. "Maybe we can work something out," Linna told her.

"Really?"

"I'll see what I can do. Get back to you in a few minutes."

"Hai," Nene said, smiling.

Linna cut the connection and leaned back against the wall. She and Nene had been making trips into the wilds of Shinjuku for several months. It had become something of an event. Of course she was too busy to make it that night and Nene was not one to handle Shinjuku well by herself. It was not that there was any real danger, but the crowd there, especially on a Saturday night, tended to be quite wild.

She sighed and tapped a number into her NAVI and waited for the person on the other line to pick up.

"What?" an angry voice asked. There was no visual feed icon, the person on the other end was using an old fashioned cellular.

"Priss-san," Linna said happily. "Linna-desu."

"It's not even noon yet," Priss said.

"Sorry I woke you. I need a favour. You owe me one."

"I thought you owed me one," Priss said, sounding like she was about to go back to sleep.

"Well, then I'll owe you another," Linna said and began to outline what she needed as fast as she could. All she had going for her was speed and the fact that Priss was half-asleep and her defences would be down.

-

Sylia stood near her dark blue Mazda sedan, examining the building through a pair binoculars-she stood behind a pile of rubble for cover. Her fingers lightly tapped the zoom button until the front doors filled her view. The image was blurry and grainy at first but after a moment it came into focus.

It looked rather innocent at first, but Sylia could just make out a figure standing beyond the front doors. It was hard to tell much about the figure, but Sylia suspected he or she was standing guard.

She pulled the focus back, looking at the building as a whole. There were a number of cameras on the building, as well as some other security measures. A surprising amount of security, all things considered.

Sylia took the binoculars from her eyes and turned them off. She walked down the small hill that hid her car from anyone watching from the building.

As she got into the car, Sylia slid the binoculars under her seat. She pulled the driver's door closed and considered what she had found so far. It was not very much, but she was getting curious.

Sylia started her car, then put it in gear and pulled away from the cover she had been using. Turning the wheel sharply she pulled out of the old parking, dropping down into a dip. She circled around, finally coming over a rise, and into view of the building.

There were only a few cars in the parking lot so she had no problem finding a spot near the front entrance.

She exited the car, setting the alarm with the key chain remote. The car beeped at her, indicating the alarm was on. Sylia put her keys into her purse as she walked towards the doors and entered the building.

The figure she had seen earlier moved out of the shadow. A man of average height, wearing a dark suit that poorly concealed the pistol under his arm, moved to intercept her. "Excuse me," he said. "This is a private building."

"I think I'm expected," Sylia told him. "Knight-hakase invited me. My name is Stingray."

"Sylia Stingray?"

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"You are expected Stingray-san. Please, come this way." He used his hand to indicate the elevator doors then he walked towards them. Sylia followed him.

When they got close to the elevator the doors opened. Another man was standing within the elevator. He was tall, with light brown hair and café-au-lait coloured skin. "Stingray-sama," he said in accented Japanese. "I am Lecoix, Knight-hakase asked me to escort you to her office. Please," he said, stepping back, indicating that she should step into the car.

Sylia hesitated for a moment. The way the man had looked at her, the way he had said her name, it was a little strange. There was something, well, almost demanding to it. She told herself it was probably just her imagination, and then she stepped into the car.

Terrence looked at the man who had escorted Sylia to the elevator. He nodded, and then turned to return to his position by the door. Terrence pressed a button to close the doors, and then turned the key above the panel before pressing the button for the fourth floor. "I hope you'll excuse all this, but this is a very secure building."

"I understand," Sylia told him.

"I'm glad you do," he said, smiling.

Sylia again felt a little uncomfortable about the way he looked at her. It was a little too familiar for her tastes.

Before it could get too uncomfortable the elevator stopped and the doors opened to the fourth floor.

"Please," he indicated that Sylia should exit the elevator. She did so as Terrence removed his key from the control panel and the stepped out with her. "This way Stingray-sama." He started down corridor to their right. Sylia followed a step behind him. She looked about as she went, making it look like idle curiosity, noting the various security measures that had been set up in the hallways.

"Here we are," Terrence said as he stopped in front of one of the doors. He reached out and knocked on it.

A moment later they both heard a muffled, "Enter."

Terrence opened the door, then stood aside so Sylia could enter.

"Miss Stingray," Sharon said. She was standing behind her desk.

"Knight-hakase," Sylia replied, bowing.

"Please come in," Sharon said.

"Thank you." Sylia stepped into the office.

"Mr. Lecoix, thank you for escorting my guest up here," she said as way of dismissal.

Terrence paused for a moment, then nodded. "Of course Dr. Knight," he said, stepping back, pulling the door closed.

"I hope I am not interrupting any of your work," Sylia said.

"Not at all," Sharon told her. "Please, have a seat."

Sylia walked across the office and took a seat in the chair that Sharon had indicated.

"Now," Sharon said as she sat down, "let's see that paper you told me about."

Sylia removed several sheets of folded up paper from her purse and handed them across the desk to Sharon.

She took them and placed them down on her desk, unfolding them. From a pocket in her blazer she produced a pair of gold rimmed glasses and then put them on.

"It will take me a little while to give this a quick read," she said absently. "Make yourself comfortable, there's a pot of coffee by the door."

Sylia nodded as she got up from her seat and turned to the small table Sharon had indicated. She walked over to it and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a small taste then a larger one once she realised how good it was. It reminded her that her father had once told her, in context of telling her about a number of his colleagues, that Sharon Knight had made some of the best coffee he had ever tasted.

She wondered around the room, looking at the books that lined the shelves in her office. It was a varied selection, though there was slight leaning towards books on artificial intelligence. She noted that the books on one section of shelves had very little dust on them compared to the other books.

A book of general anatomy, another on the anatomy of the brain, two of boomer research and the last was a collection of a set of essays on the design of very small robots. She wished she could take a look at the library the woman was bound to have on her computer. That was no doubt where she would have done most of her research.

After a few more minutes of aimless wandering Sylia returned to her seat and then feigned nervousness.

Nearly twenty minutes later Sharon looked up at Sylia. She placed the paper on her desk and removed her glasses.

"What do you think?" Sylia asked.

"I don't think you will have any problem getting this published," Sharon told her. "In fact I think once the journals begin to hear you are looking to publish this they will come to you. I hesitate to use the word genius but there are few others that would do you justice."

"Do you really think so?"

"It is a very good paper, no doubt." She stood. "If you can take some of the ideas you raise to their full extent you could make some real breakthroughs in the field. You truly are your father's daughter." She circled around the desk so she was standing by Sylia's chair.

"Thank you," Sylia put a slightly stunned tone in her voice.

"Don't mention it," Sharon told her, smiling down at Sylia.

"Oh!" Sylia said as she looked over at the clock on the wall. "Is it really that late?" She looked at her watch. "I'm very sorry Knight-hakase, I have to leave." Sylia got to her feet.

"Of course." Sharon smiled slightly. "Do you mind if I keep the paper, I wouldn't mind giving it a more in depth read."

"Please do," Sylia said as she walked to the door. "Thank you very much Knight-hakase, I'm sorry I have to leave so abruptly." Sylia bowed, and then opened the door.

"You are welcome," Sharon told her. "Mr. Lecoix should be waiting by the elevator."

"Thank you," Sylia said again as she stepped through the doorway and then pulled the door closed.

Sharon shook her head, still smiling. The young woman might have her father's genius but she did not have his composure. Returning to her seat behind the desk Sharon began to re-read the paper.

In the hall Sylia walked towards the elevators. As she had been told, Terrence was waiting for her by the elevator. As he escorted her down to the lobby she maintained the slightly stunned look that she felt would be appropriate for someone who had just been told what she had been told.

Terrence wished her well as she left the building. Sylia thanked him and walked towards her car.

She deactivated the alarm, unlocked the doors and started the engine with her remote as she approached the car. She pulled the door open and got inside. Soon she was leaving the area behind, driving back towards central Tokyo.

Well, her trip to Doctor Knight's place of work had provided her with some useful information. The security was impressive. It would be difficult to defeat. The computer in Dr. Knight's office probably had the information she was looking for, though Sylia could not be sure. Also, there was not much of a staff at the building. She had seen no evidence of other researchers, had not heard people talking, nor had she seen anyone beyond Dr. Knight, Mr. Lecoix and that one security man.

There were probably more security people there, but what about the researchers? It was certainly odd. She thought about what Dr. Mastason had told her about the arguments over ethics he and Dr. Knight had had. What sort of research might the woman be involved in?

There were too many possibilities to consider, and Sylia's mind was beginning to drift to other things.

The paper she had given to Dr. Knight had been very good. She had known that previously. She had written nearly twenty more, taking her theories to their full extent, nearing the breakthroughs that Dr. Knight had talked about.

She told Mackie that she avoided boomer research because she refused to work for Genom-another lie in itself. He believed it. Genom had their father's work so closely tied to them that anyone doing boomer research was working for Genom in the end.

Even if she did not submit the paper to a journal she knew Genom would find out the results. She would have to increase the security on her computer systems. Genom would likely be sniffing around them soon.

But her desire not to work for Genom was only a small part of why she stayed away from boomer research. The true reason was that she doubted herself every time she did such work.

Her father had initially inflicted great pain on her with the data dump. He had tortured her with his memories of her mother. And perhaps worse of all he had crippled her with self-doubts that she barely kept under control.

Was that work of genius she had given to Dr. Knight the work of Sylia Stingray or was it the work of Katsuhito Stingray? It was a question she had asked herself when she wrote all the papers. It was a question that forced her to end the research before she took it to the breakthrough conclusion.

Through high school she had always wondered if her high marks were the result of her genius or her father's? Her friends had thought her modest, quietly confident, when she seemed to take little pride in her academic accomplishments. The truth that Sylia had hidden from them was that she lived in constant doubt of her abilities, a fear that she was nothing without the data her father had forced into her mind. That Sylia Stingray had ceased to truly exist on that day she hit the enter key to discover what was on a data cartridge her father had sent her.

She had taken a leave of absence from her university after two years. While she had told herself it was to form the group that was to become the Knight Sabers she had always known the truth.

Her top marks in University caused her the same distress as her top marks in high school had. She had given up.

In a way forming the Knight Sabers had been therapeutic for her. She had chosen the members; she had brought them together. Her father may have provided the technology, the weapons, but she, Sylia Stingray, had found the warriors to use them. Had moulded them into her own weapon. Against Genom, against the abuse of her father's discoveries, against the insanity that often thought threatened to claim her.

Sylia realised she was no longer moving. She had pulled the car off to the side of the road, the four way flashers blinking. Her knuckles were white from the force with which she gripped the steering wheel.

Loosening her hands from their grip on the wheel she reached down shut off the flashers and put the car back into gear. A moment later she signalled and merged back into the flow of traffic.

She was going to have to take a closer look at Dr. Knight's work, Sylia thought.

-

Sharon put the papers to the side. The girl was a genius. She was considering applications that her father had never thought of. She thought about calling her to tell her that but decided she had wasted enough time with the past. She had her future to look to.

I wish you more luck than I had Sylia, Sharon thought as she placed the papers on her desk. She leaned back in her chair. "But perhaps you will destroy dreams as well?"

-

Priss leaned against the wall near the West Entrance of the My Lord department store. She still could not believe that she had let Linna talk her into it. It was testament to the fact she should not take phone calls before noon. She looked down at her watch, wondering if Nene was going to be late.

"Priss-san," she heard.

Looking up, she spotted Nene moving through the crowd, heading towards her. She was prompt, Priss noted. There was something odd about the redhead, something about her hair. Then she realised it was not her hair. Nene had cat ears.

"Konbanwa Priss-san," Nene said.

"What are those?" Priss said, staring at the ears on Nene's head.

"Aren't they cute?" she smiled. "They're holograms, these clips have small projectors in them," she touched a clip in her hair, causing the right ear to waver for a moment.

"That is the most stupid thing I have ever seen."

"They are not," Nene said.

"I hope they don't become popular," Priss said as she turned around and walked towards the stairs.

"They probably will," Nene said, smiling. "You should buy a pair."

"I'll remember that. Where do you want to go?"

"Kabuki-Cho."

"Living dangerous. One of the hostess bars?"

"There is more to Kabuki-Cho then the Hostess bars," Nene said. "Of course maybe you wouldn't know that."

"Keep it up ojou-chan," Priss said. "I'll feed you those hair clips."

"You are so very scary," Nene laughed.  
"You are talking pretty tough for someone who was too afraid to come here on her own," Priss said, starting down the stairs.

"I'm not afraid," Nene said.

"Then why am I here."

"I just don't like being here alone. It's just too much."

Priss shook her head. While Shinjuku was always a busy place, it was ultimately harmless. Oh, there were some dark places-Priss knew them all-and there were a few bad types, but Nene would have to be incredibly unlucky or stupid to find them. Which might explain why she was there after all.

Priss reached street level and headed down one of the brightly lit streets, past the pachinko parlours and the vending machines. Nene beside her, looking around at everything. She wanted to point something out every few seconds, drawing Priss' attention to it. Priss was surprised to see things she had never bothered to take the time to notice before. Being in Shinjuku with Nene was like being in a different place.

The crowd was a Saturday night crowd. Everyone was there that night. Students and salarymen. Office Ladies and obaa-sans(old women/housewives). They were all there in their own high or low fashions. Some made Nene's cat ears looks actually sane. Priss knew the crowd. She had been playing to it on street corners when she was sixteen. Nene might find it a little intimidating, but in ways Priss was actually contemptuous of it. Too many people there trying to find something that they never would.

A crowd of bosozoku(bikers) sent Nene to the edge of the sidewalk to circle around them, but not Priss. She pushed through them, meeting challenging stares and they backed down. The suicide bikers did not bother her. Most would be working respectable jobs in a few years, complaining about wild kids. Or they would be dead. That was the way it seemed to work. Priss did not feel anything on common with them. Her gang had been different.

Nene led them into Kabuki-Cho, and-Priss was not surprised-right to an ice cream place.

"Don't you have a test or something tomorrow?" Priss asked her, stabbing her spoon into the bowl of ice cream she had ordered.

"Yes," Nene said, licking her cone, getting some of the strawberry ice cream on her nose. "I told my kaa-san that I was going to the library to study."

"Living dangerously," Priss said, heavy sarcasm in her tone.

"You'd be surprised."

"Genom make those stupid things?" Priss used her spoon to indicate the cat ears Nene was wearing.

"Yes. They are going to use the holographic projectors in their next generation of NAVI. They have some interesting software for them when they come out, Sim Pets."

"What?"

"Holographic pets."

"You're joking?"

"No," Nene shook her head.

"Fake pets. Just what this city needs."

"You should get one," Nene said, smiling. "It would give you something to pour all those excess maternal feelings you have."

Priss moved forward and grabbed Nene's jacket. Nene screamed, and laughed, as she closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her face, dropping her ice cream cone. "Sorry."

Priss shook her head, smiling slightly, and let Nene's jacket go.

"Ahh, darn," Nene said, looking at her ice cream cone lying on the floor.

"Here," Priss said, pushing her ice cream towards Nene.

"You can actually be civil sometimes you know," Nene said as she brought a spoonful of ice cream to her mouth.

"Don't ever bank on it."

"Ahh!" Nene exclaimed around the ice cream in her mouth.

"What now?" Priss asked.

"Second hand kiss," Nene said, holding the spoon.

Priss grabbed Nene's jacket again prompting another scream, though that time Nene managed to keep her dessert.

-

"Where are we going?" Nene asked.

"Not to another toy store," Priss said.

"It was not a toy store," Nene said.

"How do you explain the teddy bears?"

"Decoration," Nene said. "So where are we going Priss-oneechan?"

"Do you give Linna this much grief?"

"You're not Linna."

"If only you could be this tough when we were facing boomers," Priss said softly, more to herself than anyone. She turned and walked into a brightly-lit game centre.

"A game centre?"

"New game out I want to try," Priss said.

Nene shrugged her shoulders. A video game seemed like a fun way to spend a few minutes.

"Priss-san," the young man at the greeting counter said as soon as he saw her.

"They know you by name?" Nene asked.

"I like shooting games," Priss said as if that explained it all. "Kenta, got the new one in a private room?"

"Yeah. Three is set up," he tossed her a key card. "We've been saving this one for you."

"Liar," Priss said as she grabbed the card. "Come on," she said to Nene, "let's see if it's as good as they say."

On the way Priss stopped to get a game credit card, only putting a few hundred yen on it. Nene got one with several thousand. There were several private game rooms off to one side of the centre. Priss walked to one of the doors, ran the key card through the reader, then pushed the door open.

Inside was the standard set up. A very large screen on one wall, the game controls in the centre, with the virtual rigs if one wanted to use them. They were a very simple design, wrap around glasses with earphones and a radio link.

"What's the game?" Nene asked as she closed the door behind her.

"It's called 'Milton'," Priss told her. "Reference to Paradise Lost. Kind of a shoot your way out of hell game."

"Which hell?"

"I suspect they are all alike in the end," Priss said, picking up the game gun. It was shaped like a shotgun and weighed about the same as one.

"Playing it virtual?" Nene asked as she picked up the glasses and gave them a look over. Ultimately disposable, but reasonable quality.

"Might as well. I'm paying for the gear," she pushed her game credit card into the pay slot. She tucked the gun into the crook of her arm, then put the glasses on. Nene watched as she moved her free hand through the air, stabbing at nothing. There was no need for gloves or any thing like that. Sensors in the room read Priss' movement.

Nene pushed her card into the slot, then put on the glasses.

Priss had been right. Hellscape. They seemed to become popular every now and then. Very nice graphics, she noted. The thing was probably run by the new Sony engine with some powerful processors behind it. There was a slight ghost image of the real room they were in, but it was hardly noticeable unless she was paying attention to it.

Priss stood beside her, but in the VR setting she wore an armoured breastplate of some plastic like material, and a set of combat fatigues. Nene knew her own icon wore similar clothing. She briefly wondered if her cat ears were visible or not?

"Okay," Priss said. "Let's go," she reached out and stabbed a start button. Nene reached down and grabbed her weapon.

The controls were all on the weapon. Walking, running, and other movements like that were controlled by several buttons. Actions like ducking and aiming were handled by actually moving. Nene, who had played no few of those games, thought it was a good set up. Easy to use and fairly good at simulating a real situation. Not perfect, but she didn't care.

It was a fun enough game, a little too high on the gore level for Nene's taste, but she had sort of expected that. The real entertainment was watching Priss play.

Priss' reaction times were fast, but it was other things that gave her control over the game. She never missed, she seemed to have a sixth sense about ambushes and she knew when to duck and what weapon to use. Nothing stopped her and she went farther and farther into the game.

On the other hand Nene quickly found her card depleted and had to leave the game for a short while to get more game credit on the card. Fortunately there was a machine in the room. In the end she just followed after Priss, letting her clear the way while she watched their back trail. Not that there was much to watch after Priss had finished up with things.

An hour later they had reached the end of the game and Priss finished off the last monster quickly enough. The ending segment began to play but Priss' icon winked out as she pulled off the VR glasses. Nene watched, doubting that she would ever get a chance to see them again. When they ended she took off the glasses and placed them down.

"That was fun," Priss said from where she was leaning against the wall. She did not sound all that thrilled about it.

"Do you do this often?" Nene asked.

"One a week, maybe a little less."

"Priss-neechan you're amazing," Nene laughed.

Priss shook her head and walked to the door. "Let's go and get something to eat, maybe a few beers."

Nene nodded and followed after Priss.

As soon as Priss pushed the door open she became aware of the crowd. A lot of people and they began to clap as she exited.

"Bastard," Priss said. Of course Kenta would have put her game up on one of the main screens. She was minimally polite as she pushed through the crowd, nodding to a few friends as she went. She was fairly well known, what with the singing and other things, and she had a fair number of fans.

"Nene-chan!" someone said once they had cleared most of the crowd. Priss looked over her shoulder. Behind her Nene looked as if one of the monsters from the video game had just shown up.

Behind them was a middle-aged woman with red hair. She had more than a passing resemblance to Nene. Beside her was a man, very handsome, Priss thought. She had a few other thoughts that she decided were not quite right when they involved a friend's father.

"Your parents I assume," Priss said to Nene.

"Shoot me, please," Nene said.

"Maybe later."

Nene turned quickly to face her parents. "Kaa-san, Tou-san, konbanwa," she bowed deeply.

"Nene-chan." Her mother's tone had a slightly dangerous edge to it. "I thought you said you were going to be studying in the library."

"I lied," Nene said.

"At least she is truthful about it," her father said, smiling.

"So you think you are ready for this test?" Ali asked.

"Yes," Nene said.

"Well, let's hope so," Ali's tone softened. She knew Nene would do well, and everyone did need a chance to let off some steam every now and then. "A friend from work?" Ali asked, looking at Priss. Priss found herself on the receiving end of a rather intense gaze. She decided that Nene had not been exaggerating when it came to stories about her mother.

"Asagiri Priss," Priss said. "Nice to meet you. I have to go Nene," Priss said, turning around and heading off. Nene noticed her mother giving Priss' back a hard stare.

"Just a second," Nene said to her parents then ran after Priss. "You can't leave, not just like that," Nene said softly as she caught up to the other woman.

"Why not?" Priss asked.

"Because my mother will spend a lot of time asking me about you if you just go. It is the sort of suspicious behaviour that she locks onto. I don't want to be grilled like that."

"Oh, and I do?"

"Plase Priss-neechan," Nene said, putting her hands together like she was praying, and dipping her head.

"Damn," Priss shook her head. "Lose the ears."

"What?"

"Take off those silly things and promise me you'll never wear them again."

"Promise," Nene said as she quickly removed the hair clips and put them in her jacket pocket.

Priss shook her head and walked back towards Nene's parents.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I thought I had a prior engagement."

"Are you sure you don't?" Ali asked.

Priss nodded.

"Priss-san, this is my kaa-san, and my tou-san," Nene said.

"Romanova Ali."

"Makoto," Makoto said, smiling. He had decided that he had best play everything friendly. His wife was going to come on as the heavy.

"Priss-san and I were just going to get something to eat," Nene said, "would you like to come with us?" Please say no, she thought.

"We were thinking of food ourselves," Makoto said. "That was before Priss-san began to put on such a nice show."

"Isn't she amazing?" Nene asked her father.

He nodded.

"Where would you like to eat?" Ali asked.

"I'm sure we can find some place," Priss said. "This is Shinjuku after all."

After a little more small talk they were walking from the game centre. Priss and Makoto were in the lead. It turned out Nene's father had an interest in motorcycles-having even raced them at one point-and the two were comparing notes. Behind them Ali and Nene were walking.

"So why were you there?" Nene asked.

"My network of spies informed me of where you were."

"I can almost believe it."

"Actually, your father and I often go out and visit game centres. I'm sure I told you that we met in one."

"Is this the story were he spent a small fortune trying to get you a penguin from a UFO catcher?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever get that penguin?"

"No. Nor has he managed to get anything from similar games for as long as we have been married." She laughed. "As luck would have it, tonight's choice corresponded with yours. Not too surprising as your father tells me that this is the best game centre in town. So, why haven I met Asagiri-san before?"

"Because the last time I brought a friend home you had her crying in under five minutes."

"Yanagi was a very high strung girl," Ali said dismissively.

"Perhaps, but the fact is you have always dealt with any friends I introduced you to like you were interrogating them."

"You are being silly Nene."

"I am not."

"Where did you meet Asagiri-san?"

"What?"

"Where did you meet her?"

"Around."

Ali gave her daughter a hard stare.

"We're here," Makoto called, giving Nene a chance to slip away from her mother and move up closer to her father and Priss. The restaurant was busy, but there was no line up. They were soon shown to a table and after looking over the menus placed their orders.

"Asagiri-san, how did you meet Nene-chan?" Ali asked.

"Related work," Priss said, picking up the beer she had ordered.

"You are with the police?"

"No," Priss took a drink. "I'm a criminal."

The table was quiet for a moment, then Makoto began to laugh and soon everyone was.

"Actually," Priss said. "Nene nailed me for speeding one day and, somehow, we became friends. I think I still have that ticket, I know I haven't paid it," she smiled. Makoto wasn't a bad sort and if Ali could get someone like him, she couldn't be all that bad either. Still, from what Nene had let slip, she decided that she best be careful around both of them.

The talk moved onto lighter matters, Nene's test the next day and about Shinjuku. They were nearly finished the meal with Ali ended the small talk.

"What do you do Asagiri-san?"

"Musician."

"Priss-san plays a lot of the best underground clubs," Nene said.

"It pays for University?"

"It might," Priss said, taking a drink of her beer. "Assuming I went."

"You aren't in university?" There was something in Ali's tone that Nene recognised. Her mother seemed to think any young woman not living up to her potential was in some way her responsibility. The conversation might be interesting to watch, if she was not sitting at the same table.

"Really, I'm sure that Asagiri-san has made the choices she felt were for the best," Makoto said, seeing where the conversation was going.

"That's right," Nene said, glad her father was trying to mollify the situation. She had noticed he had taken on a lighter hand since she had run away. Probably to keep her from doing so again. He might agree with her mother completely, and usually did, but he knew how to take Nene's side.

"It's all right," Priss said, not about to back down from a challenge. "University would be a bit hard, seeing as I never made it out of Junior High."

Ali frowned slightly. She remembered her earlier conversation with Nene about her and her daughter's friends. She should just leave it alone. She was not going to do that though. "What do your parents think about that?"

Nene winced slightly. Ali saw that and realised she had just stepped over a line.

"I think they would be very upset with me," Priss said, then took another drink. "If they were alive. Actually, they still might be upset with me."

"I'm sorry," Ali said.

"Don't be. You got a point. Musician with no real future," Priss took another drink. She wondered if Okita would come through. "Lousy past, messed up life. I think kaa-san would not be at all impressed," she finished her beer.

"You know," Ali said. "No matter what stupid things they might do," she looked over at Nene. "Mothers never stop loving their daughters."

"Idiot," Priss said. "You should write greeting cards. Oi. One more beer," she shouted at the waiter. No one else said anything. "Sorry," Priss said after a few seconds. "That was out of line."

"No," Ali said. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Yeah, well, whatever," Priss said and waited for her beer.

After that the conversation just died. A few minutes later Makoto said he needed to get home and Ali told Nene she would be wise to come along as the test was the next day. Makoto said he would pay.

Nene went off to use the washroom and Priss and Ali left the restaurant together.

"Asagiri-san, I want to apologise again. Your life is none of my business."

"Don't worry about it," Priss waved the apology off as she started walking down the street. She stopped and turned, looking back at Ali. "What you said in there, do you think that is true?"

"I know it is true," Ali said.

"Yeah," Priss turned and walked away. "Maybe," she said.

Ali watched her go. A few seconds later Makoto came out of the restaurant. "Interesting young woman," he said. "Knows her bikes."

"Remember when I promised not to go after any more of Nene's friends like they were my children?"

"Yes."

"I lied."

"I knew that."

**Cultural Notes:**

Second Hand Kiss - The concept of a second hand kiss might be best described as an indirect kiss. In Orange Road, IIRC, there is one point where Kyosuke and Madoka share and apple. Kyosuke takes a bite, then hands it to Madoka. While Madoka could have taken a bite from the opposite side, she chose to take a bite close to where Kyosuke had. Her lips touched where his had been, so it was a second hand kiss.

It's the sort of cute thing that Nene would notice.

**Tech Notes:**

Nene's cat ears - these small, holographic projectors are designed to, basically, create simple holographs. In this case a set of cat ears. It is likely that they could be designed to project other short ears. Rabbit ears would be difficult due to the length.

They would cost about 5000 yen, and the battery lasts about ten hours. Such fashion items are popular with Japanese, high school girls.


	4. Domino Effect 4

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
** An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 4 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999;2005) 

Based on Characters and Situations created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**January 15th, Sunday, 9:32am**

Domino smiled at the people around her as they exited the small conference room. She played them well, starting little rivalries with something as simple and innocent as a laugh. Rivalries that would grow in time and which she could take advantage of.

Mason's knowledge of politics and the sexaroid body were a deadly combination. She knew that she could climb the ladder to the top of the tower, regain the position that had been lost, in short order. It was her destiny.

So she played an elegant game with the people, her new co-workers-she had been from the moment she had first been introduced to them. They were simply rungs that would assist her in her climb, nothing more, nothing less.

"Odotte-kun," her section chief called as he ran up behind her. "While I am aware you have only recently come to Genom, I expect you to work as hard as anyone else. We at Genom expect nothing less."

"Of course bucho-san," she said respectfully, easily hiding the contempt that she felt for him. He had come after her instead of making her come to him. He did not understand power. He called morning meetings on Sunday, just to show he could. Contemptible.

"Good." He smiled at her and Domino smiled back, dismissing him from her thoughts even as she did so. He could easily be ignored; there were many others who would likely be useful tools.

As he turned and left her smile became colder. Turning she walked towards her small office, glad she had managed a position that gave her one.

Around her a number of people turned to watch her and talk about the woman who had come into their midst, as they would about any new worker. They had little else to do. The Sunday meeting had been called to discuss a number of things her section chief had considered very important. Most would be leaving soon, but Domino planned to stay.

She knew most of the people around her thought they knew the truth about her. A number of computer jockeys had already dug up her records and were circulating that information around. Ostensibly of Mason's "wunderkind", one he had snapped up into his private staff before she could come to Genom proper.

A very competent woman, definitely one to watch. Domino had overheard the rumours already. If only they truly knew what she was... She was still smiling at the thought as she entered her office.

She took a seat at her small desk and turned on her computer. She had been given a number of jobs to do and told that everything was to be done in a week's time. She brushed her hair back as she looked everything over.

It was completed in thirty minutes. She knew the company, she knew more than almost anyone who worked in The Tower. The work that had been given to her as a test was an insult to her abilities. She finished it quickly so she could begin to plot; she would send her section chief a complete report in a few days.

The top levels of The Tower would be hers in half a year at most, just below Quincy. After that she would be willing to wait. Patience was not only a virtue it was a survival requirement.

She pushed her chair back slightly and leaned back. The artificial calm her central processor usually imposed slid back slightly, her emotions suddenly sharper. She was afraid, but then again she knew she should be. Trying to keep her emotions sealed away was just as dangerous as letting them surface as they would. She had a fine line to walk.

Sylia should soon receive the job offer, she mused. Domino wondered if she would take it. If she decided not to, there were other options open to her, but she was certain that the Knight Sabers had the best chance of getting it for her without raising any dangerous questions.

Domino relaxed for several minutes, before the shrill of her phone brought her out of her thoughts. She sat up and reached forward to take the headset from its cradle.

"Moshi, moshi Odotte desu(hello, this is Odotte)," she said into the phone, glancing at the screen as it flickered on.

"Odotte-kun, the chairman would like to see you," a middle-aged woman with black hair and brown eyes told her. Quincy's new public secretary, Domino knew her from the files she had read. She wondered what had happened to the man who had held the position before.

"Me?" She was shamed by the fact her voice broke with nervousness. Her emotions were suddenly, almost violently, brought under control. She did not know why Quincy would want to see her but she could not convince herself it was good.

"Odotte-kun, I am aware you are new here so I will tell you that we do not call people up as a joke," she said sternly. "Take the elevators up to the two hundred and third floor, from there you will take the Sky Elevator to the Chairman's office. You have been cleared to use them. Enter your security card into the reader, the elevator will take you where you wish to go."

"I understand," Domino said, restraining her anger. How dare the woman talk to her like she was an idiot!

"Good. Do not keep the Chairman waiting." She cut the connection and left Domino staring at a blank screen.

Domino slammed the phone into its cradle and pushed her chair back so hard it banged into the wall as she stood. Anger was slipping pass the shield, but with it came fear.

Quincy wanted to see her. She was dead.

Calm down, she told herself. If Quincy really wanted me dead, there would be Boomers in this office right now. It's probably just a coincidence.

As she walked out of her small office, she wished that she had managed to convince herself of that. Soon she was in the elevator and Domino found herself wishing the elevators were slower, that her car would stop at every floor. They weren't and it didn't.

She stepped out on the two hundred and third floor and walked towards the Sky Elevators.

They were glass elevators that ran up the side of the Arcology, though only a few of the floors had entrances to them. There were few places in the city that offered such a view as the Sky elevators.

The doors slid open as she approached them, waiting for her. For a second she entertained the foolish thought of bolting, of running. She gave it up instantly. She had chose to come into Genom's embrace, for good or ill. There would be no running, not now.

She took her security card from her pocket and ran it through the card reader near the control panel. The doors closed, sealing her in. So smooth that she was not aware of the movement at first, the car began to ascend, to the heavens.

Domino turned her attention to the city outside, letting herself be enraptured by the sight. At night it would be even more beautiful she decided.

She did not know that her thoughts were the same as another young woman who had ascended in the same elevator, one of her sisters in a way. It would not have made Domino feel better to know that, especially since that young woman had died hard in the same place Domino was going.

The elevator came to a halt a short time later. She turned towards the doors as they opened and stepped out into the hallway that led to Quincy's office. The hall was short, its only purpose to connect the elevator to the office doors.

Huge double doors, like those of a church, stood at the end of the hall. Flanking them was an honour guard of boomers. It did not matter to Domino that they were in human guise, that these boomers might easily be mistaken for humans. She knew what they were.

One of the doors opened slightly as she approached. Only slightly, almost as if was stating something about her. She stepped through.

Far across the room Quincy sat behind his desk, he was looking out the huge windows behind the desk, his back to her.

"Odotte-kun, come in," he said, his deep voice filling the office.

"Hai Shachou-sama," she replied as she walked towards the desk.

"Stop." He spun slowly in his chair, facing her. Domino stopped several meters from the desk. He locked gazes with her, holding her with the strength of that contact. Domino felt as if she was being taken apart, every thing about her being judged in that instant. She wondered if the Gaijin's God was like this. She managed to meet that gaze, to not turn away force of it, but it took every bit of artificial self-control her housekeeping computer could force on her.

Quincy was old-the records put him in his seventies-but he looked like a man in his prime. He was powerful, handsome, threatening, the ruler of Genom and perhaps the world. Domino wondered if she could truly deceive the man. She put the thought aside; after all, he was only a man, like any other. Perhaps that would help her.

"Come here," he said again, and she started walking before she was even aware of moving.

Domino allowed herself the luxury of thinking that she would survive the meeting, that Quincy really had no idea who she was, that he was just routinely checking up on one of Mason's operatives. She maintained that thought until the point she saw the files on Quincy's desk. That thought was torn away as her legs turned to water, and she almost fell. It was only some core of inner will that kept her from collapsing.

He had always liked files, as old fashioned as they were. They were a prop, something he could put on his desk for people to see, to make them nervous. They were working quite well that day.

There were a number, each with a name in neat black printing on the top. Brian J. Mason; Dr. Yoshiro Andrews; Cyberdroid, Prototype, Largo; Boomer, Endoskeleton Class, D; Sexaroid 33S, 3rd Gen, AA41C; Domino Odotte... Those were the ones that stood out amongst the others, even though she recognised all the names.

HE KNEW.

The thought was like a physical blow to Domino. He knew it all, he no doubt had always known. Nothing had been secret, ever. She was beginning to have trouble keeping her breathing under control. She tried to call up her housekeeping computer, to force control back on her body but even it seemed to be gripped by the fear. It was smarter than she had thought, Domino decided.

"Do you know why I have given so many second chances?" Quincy asked her.

Domino could not answer. That she was still on her feet was something that Domino felt an inordinate amount of pride in.

"People make mistakes." He placed his hands together, a hand wrapped over his fist, his elbows on the desk, his chin on the bipod he had formed. "I only care about the larger ones. If they are loyal or ambitious, mistakes do not sit well with them; the loyal ones feel they have let the company down and the ambitious ones fear for their own desires. Do you not agree?"

"Hai, Shachou," she kept her voice steady but there was a quaver in it she could not hide.

"When you give them a second chance they do their best to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes or any others. They become quite valuable to me, owing me a debt as they do. I'm sure you can understand the politics behind this?"

"Yes sir."

"I am loath to give third chances, but I will, on occasion. Please take these files and shred them," he told her.

Domino realised what he was saying, that she was not about to die. She gathered up the files and walked over to the shredder and dropped the files into it. It was all for atmosphere she knew. The real files were on computer and would not be destroyed. The shredding was symbolic, putting the past behind. She returned to his desk once she had finished.

"I have a project for you, one that will make use of your skills," he put a slight emphasis on 'skills' and Domino knew me meant Mason's skill. "I want you to continue your work concerning Knight-hakase. You will have other duties of course, I am putting you in charge of corporate acquisitions, but you are to give the Knight case all your attention for now. Wakaru?"

"Hai Shachou-san, wakarimasu wa yo(I understand)." She finally was beginning to feel back on stride, but that did not make her feel any better.

"I do not plan on giving any fourth chances. Wakaru?"

"Hai!" She swallowed heavily.

"I also want you to dismantle Mason's organisation, I want nothing left. Those who can be are to be returned to the Tower. Those who can't be should be encouraged to retire. I want Andrews-hakase in the tower by nightfall."

"Hai."

"And destroy all those tapes. If you leave a way out, you cheapen the Bushido code."

"Hai."

Quincy turned his chair and stared out the window. Domino stood in front of the desk, not moving, holding the disks in her hands, her hands in front of her. She said nothing.

A few minutes later Quincy smiled slightly.

"Go," he said, not looking at Domino.

"Hai. Thank you very much," she bowed deeply and turned, walking towards the doors through which she could escape, trying to keep from running. The door stood open for her, perhaps a little wider than before, she could not be sure. She stopped just at the threshold, turned and bowed once again, deeper than before.

"Odotte." Quincy called, just as she had straightened.

"Hai, Shachou-sama."

"Do not dirty Genom's name."

"Hai."

"Go."

She stepped backwards into the hall, the door closing in front of her.

She has potential neither Mason nor Largo had, Quincy thought, looking out over his city. Hopefully she would realise it and not go the way of her predecessors.

* * *

Inside the elevator Domino tried to get control of herself. The worst thing possible had just happened, but she had come out of it alive and, in a way, with the Chairman's blessings. She supposed that should feel good about that accomplishment, but she could not. Quincy had known everything. Suddenly a core part of her had been roughly, even violently shaken and now nothing was the same.

Fear gripped her, and she was suddenly unsure who she was, unsure of why she was there. She did not want it. Then something clamped down on all that and her doubts-for the most part-went away.

As the elevator came close to two hundred and third floor she tried to look relaxed and happy, but she knew that the smile on her face would look as fake to others as it felt to her. She gave up on it after a moment.

Few people came out of the Chairman's office looking happy; most came out looking like Domino knew she looked. On the other hand some never came out and were never talked about. Better to be one of the beaten than one of the disappeared.

Domino knew that her trip to Quincy's office would circulate around the Tower soon enough. Fortunately it was Sunday, which would slow the rumour mill. By tomorrow everyone in her office would know about her trip to Quincy's office. There was no such thing as rumour control in the Tower; rumours were part of the office politics that went on within the corporate fortress that was Genom. She knew she should probably be thinking about how to best use them for her own gain but she couldn't. There were too many other things that were taking up her thoughts.

As she entered the office area she spotted her section chief-the only person remaining down there-but she ignored him. Even knowing that he would expect to know why she had been called to the Chairman's office, he did not matter any more. In a short time they would know the truth. She had just been catapulted above them all.

She would now either hold her place at the top, or she would be dead. Or worse.

Those were her only options now, Quincy had given her a third chance and now she had to show him that she was worthy of it.

Domino went into her office and sealed herself in by jamming a chair under the doorknob. There were no locks and she wanted privacy.

The game continued on and Domino knew that she could win it. Cleverness and patience were the only requirements.

Reaching down she picked up her briefcase and opened it. She took out her NAVI and activated the scrambler before tapping in the number. Then she waited until it was picked up on the other end.

"Moshi, moshi," Domino said quickly, "D-san, there have been a few changes in our plans." She said.

"Hai Domino-sama?"

"Quincy knows almost everything, we are now working for him."

"Are you in danger?" D asked, her basic programming coming to the fore.

"Yes, but it is the same old danger. Everything is balanced on knife's edge. We will do our best to survive."

"I understand."

"Good. Start dismantling the organisation, get Andrews-hakase into a car and over to the tower. Reassign everyone you can, retire the rest. All stores to be returned to Genom, we'll keep the money and destroy those tapes of Mason and Largo. I'll expect a report by eighteen hundred hours."

"Hai Domino-sama."

"No mistakes, I want everyone who has to be retired, retired before those who are to be transferred know that they are going elsewhere."

"Of course," D said. Domino wondered if she heard a little indignation in that voice. If so she could hardly blame D. The boomer had handled a number of assassinations and was a consummate professional.

"Good." Domino cut the connection.

She flipped her NAVI closed and the got up from her chair. Moving around she took a seat on her desk. Looking over at the clock on the wall she was surprised at how early it was. Things in the Tower often happened fast. Those who did not react in time were doomed.

Smiling as her confidence began to return, Domino returned to her seat. She had a lot of things to do in the next few hours. One of which was finding out where her new office was going to be.

* * *

Nene walked out of the exam centre of Tokyo University. She skipped down a few steps of the main staircase then sat down heavily. Around her was a crowd of the others who had written the exam. Most of them were students-in their uniforms-but there were others, a wide spread of ages.

"I'm tired," she said softly, pulling her coat tight against the wind.

She had just written the first half of the Central Exam. She'd write the next part tomorrow. Her standings from the exam would determine which universities she could write the Juken for. It was hard work, but she was not worried. She had known all the answers. Getting them down had been hard, but she could handle that.

Nene got to her feet and started down the stairs again. She wanted to get home, into a hot bath, do a little studying, then get some sleep.

* * *

Priss sat on her bike, sidesaddle, watching the crowd of people walking by. Young men in suits, young women wearing kimonos. It was Adult's Day. A celebration of coming to age. She had watched it before, looking on those that celebrated it with disdain. She had come to age without any of the fancy celebration.

She had turned twenty after the last celebration. She could have, had she wished, joined in any of the celebrations the city ran for orphans of the quake. She watched a young woman go by, laughing and smiling, beside her an older woman, her mother probably.

It was incredibly stupid, Priss thought angrily. The holiday was pointless. Who cared? A lot of people obviously. The disdain she had once felt was gone. Something else was there. Something close to jealousy.

Her mind went to the dangerous area of 'what might have been' for a moment before Priss forced it away and reached for her helmet. She had things to do a rehearsal to get to. That was what mattered. Not some stupid holiday.

She could not really convince herself of that though.

* * *

It was dark. That did not surprise Sylia; Fargo had a thing for dark places. It smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol and there was a musty undertone as well.

She leaned against the pool table in the rear of the deserted pool hall, chalking up her cue. The light fixture overhead put the table in an island of light, the only one lit in the large room. It made the shadows around them all the deeper.

Fargo ran a hand through his dark blonde, almost light brown, hair. He took his cigarette from the ashtray on the edge of the table.

"Break?"

"Why not?" Sylia placed the chalk to the side and walked around the table, looking at the neat, triangular arrangement of balls. She lined up her shot and then the stick moved smoothly through her hands, striking the cue ball. The ball rolled across the table, losing a little of its inertia to friction, before striking the other balls, scattering them. Nothing went in.

"Do you ever see this game as model for the laws of thermodynamics?" she asked Fargo.

"Not really." He tossed his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it. Rolling down the sleeves of his jacket and shirt, he then took the excessively wrinkled, dark jacket off and threw it onto the chair where Sylia had neatly hung her own jacket.

The sleeves of his shirt hung loosely, the buttons undone. Sylia watched as he took a cue from the rack on the wall.

"One ball, corner pocket," he told her, striking the cue ball, sinking the one ball. "So are you interested in the job?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

"It pays very well."

"I know."

"They need an answer soon. Bank off the eight ball, into the two, into the side pocket," he said as he struck the cue ball. The cue ball struck the two, which rolled across the table, stopping at the lip of the pocket.

"Do they sound desperate? Nine, corner pocket." The clacking of the cue ball hitting the nine followed, then the soft thump as the ball went in the pocket.

"Not really. They are considering some other people."

"Why don't they go with any of the others? This is not our sort of job."

"The target is a bit of a mystery. Who knows what it has in the way of security? They want someone who can get what they want and get out if things go bad. You're the best."

"Is that the only reason?" Sylia asked as she looked over the table.

"The only reason there can be. Someone wants some information and they are willing to pay for it."

"Tower?"

"Maybe. I don't think so though. Not quite."

Sylia nodded. "Bank the two, into the four, into the twelve banked into the corner pocket," Sylia began to line up her shot.

"Not a chance," Fargo studied the table. He picked up a tumbler of amber liquid from the side of the table. Sylia noticed he never actually drank from it.

"Care to bet?" Sylia asked, a slight smile on her face, almost daring.

"I try to be more careful with my money then to throw it away."

Sylia leaned over the table, the stick striking the cue ball. The two hit the side, rebounded into the four which completely missed the twelve.

"You could have made some easy money," Sylia told him.

Fargo shook his head as he examined the table.

"What do you think they want?"

"They are probably curious as hell at to what is going on," Fargo said.

"And curious as to whether there might be a fortune to be made here?"

"Maybe something like that. Four ball, corner pocket," he said, easily making the shot.

"Where is the money coming from?"

"Bank in Switzerland. The account was set up eight months ago. Someone dumped a hundred million yen into it but has not touched it since. That was all I could find out. Three ball, side pocket," he said, sinking that ball as well.

"I'll take it."

"When are you going to do it?"

"A day or two."

"Okay, I'll let them know," he said, then began to clear the table. He went for simple, clean shots. His style was not fancy, but once he got control of the table he did not often lose it.

"Not bad," Sylia took her jacket from the back of the chair.

"Products of a wasted youth."

"I'll let you know as soon as I have it," she said as she put on her jacket.

"Perhaps we can celebrate over dinner when you do?" He smiled at her.

"Perhaps not," Sylia took her Ray Bans from her handbag and put them on.

"Payment?"

"Standard procedure. See if you can get fifty percent more out of them. I'd like to see if they are desperate." Sylia turned away and walked away from the table, heading towards the rectangle of bright light that was the exit.

Fargo pulled on his jacket and rolled up the sleeves, watching as Sylia disappeared.

* * *

Later, Sylia looked over the information that Fargo had supplied her with. Little was known about Sharon Knight's current work, though the assumption was that it Aphros Industries' new control system

Sylia doubted it. Her previous visit and what little information she had been able to uncover pointed in other directions. She was just not sure what that direction was. It was time to get someone inside.

Nene of course.

How to get her in though?

There was all that open space around the building, and using the Sky Carrier was out of the question. She called up some plans of the area, looking over the information there. There was a possibility, but it seemed something of a long-shot. Still, it was worth trying.

Nene and Linna would be able to do the job. No, not Linna, she had the dance audition. Priss then. Priss was actually a slightly better choice for the mission, although her rash behaviour could lead to problems. It was a chance she would have to take.

They could go in tomorrow, she decided, after the Sky Carrier had been moved.

Sylia put the information aside and turned her attention to other work.

* * *

D held the two data cartridges in her hand. On one, in her neat handwriting, was written "Largo". On the other was 'Mason'.

She opened the heat lock to the incinerator, which had been running almost non-stop since she had received the call from Domino. After placing the Largo data cartridge into the lock, she sealed the door and dumped the cartridge into the flames.

Not much was left of the operation she had helped build and had then maintained by herself after Mason's death. It had been a hard task, at times made harder by her own and other's mistakes.

The equipment had been carted off, except for a few of the bigger pieces, like the incinerator.

The staff had been either reassigned or terminated-the bodies were in the incinerator with everything else Genom wanted destroyed.

All that was left for her to do was to wait for a number of reports to come back to her so she could be sure everyone who was supposed to be dead was dead.

That and destroy the last data cartridge.

She looked down at it. One of Mason's safety nets. Quincy had ensured that there were no more safety nets left. Domino would walk the razor's edge path she had set herself on with no margin for error.

D looked at the thermometer on the heat lock. The temperature in the chamber had dropped to safe levels. She pulled open the door and looked in, then put the data cartridge in the chamber. She almost closed the door but instead left it open and took the cartridge out.

Slowly she reached down and picked up her briefcase and just as slowly she put the cartridge into it. Setting the case aside, D straightened, then leaned against the wall.

In an hour she would activate the grinders in the incinerator. Anything not burnt to ash would be ground to dust. It all would be dumped into the tunnels below the building.

Genom liked things to be as tidy as possible. No messy, loose threads that would have to be dealt with later.

* * *

The elevator doors opened up to the basement. Sharon stepped out, looking around the mostly empty room. Her boomers stood, motionless, as they had the last time she had visited.

She walked across the floor, her heels loud in the otherwise silent room. She moved to stand in front of one of the construction boomers. She reached out and put her hand on its chest, feeling the hardness beneath her fingers. She smiled, trailing her fingers along its chest for a moment as she walked down the line of boomers.

She stopped in front of one of the C-class boomer, staring up at it.

While working for MRAStech she had attempted to reverse engineer some of Katsuhito's work, but had had little luck. She had managed, almost by mistake, to find a way to cut the boomers from the control of the OMS.

The Over Mind System was Genom's dirty little secret, kept hidden and buried deeply within the AI chip. A difficult system to work around-removing it from a boomer caused damage to the AI chip, and as a result, the units suffered a fifteen to forty percent drop in function afterwards.

Still, they were free from Genom's influence, and that was something.

"You are so beautiful," she told the boomer she faced, reaching up to touch its jaw. "So beautiful."

She pulled her skirt around her waist and then moved forward, moving the boomer's right leg between her legs. She pressed herself against its thigh, letting out a small gasp.

Reaching up, she put her hands on the boomer's shoulders and pulled herself up. "I always dreamed of you," she told the boomer. "I always wanted to create life." She lowered herself, the boomer's thigh sliding between her legs. "Katsuhito got there first though."

She continued moving herself up and down, making small, gasping sounds every few seconds.

"I'm not angry at Katsuhito," she told the boomer as she let herself down, giving her arms a few moments of rest. She used her legs to rock back and forth on the boomer's thigh. "Perhaps a little jealous, but I'm also glad for him. He was very good at what he did. If any of us deserved to create you, it was he. Still, where did it leave me to go?"

The boomer, of course, did not answer. Sharon did not expect and answer. She had begun pulling herself up again. "Dumb AIs for MRAStech?" she snorted dismissively, then moaned softly. "It's so pointless, so anti-climatic," Sharon said, with some close to disgust in her tone. "It would be like asking someone to work on a chemical rocket after faster than light travel had already been achieved. It might be useful and even necessary, but it is not glamorous!" she almost yelled, the yell becoming a loud gasp as the sensations became a little too much for her.

For several minutes she continued to grind herself against the boomer's thigh, not saying anything, just making inarticulate sounds of pleasure.

Finally, her arms too tired to continue for a time, she let herself slide down the leg until her feet rested firmly on the ground. She leaned forward, placing her cheek on the cold, metal chest of her immobile lover.

"I wanted to be remembered for doing something great," she said softly, almost sadly. "That can't be though. I suppose I'll have to be remembered for something terrible."

**

* * *

January 16th, Monday, 12:19pm**

Priss ran the bone pick over the strings of the samisen in her lap, listening to the music she produced with the long necked, three stringed instrument. She tried another variation, then a third. Placing the pick on her knee she leaned over and marked a few notes down on the paper by her foot.

She reached out and played the same notes out on her keyboard. Pleased, she returned her attention to the samisen.

She slowly plucked at the strings, getting a feel for the instrument, remembering old lessons. Her guitar rested in its stand less than a meter from her but she left it there.

When she had learned how to play the guitar she had been going through a lot of rough times, hard times. Whenever she picked one up she was reminded of all that. Her music became hard and angry. She head learned to play the samisen during a better part of her life.

The thought made her look at one of two pictures sitting on top of her computer screen. Both photos and their frames had been packed away with a number of other things, including a few books on law that Priss had-she liked to be able to read the legalese of contracts. She had pulled the books out because she was sure she would need them if Oshiro got back to her. The pictures she had taken out last night after she had gotten home.

One picture was in a tarnished silver frame; the edges of the photo had been damaged by water that had seeped in.

In it a thin, attractive woman with long brown hair and brown eyes sat on a stool, a samisen in her lap. A child, she looked to be around four or five, was attempting to climb into the woman's lap. She was looking down at the girl, a warm smile on her face and in her eyes.

Priss still wasn't sure why she had wanted to be in her mother's lap that day. It was either a desire to learn how her mother made the beautiful sounds or jealousy of the instrument. Perhaps it was a little of both.

The pick dropped from Priss' fingers. It had been a long time since the pictures had last seen light. They always brought back too many memories, too strong for Priss. She would pack them away once again in a futile attempt to forget.

Her mother had been a traditional woman, old fashioned really. Priss had always felt that there was something defiant behind that, some testimony to her mother's true strength. She knew it had something to do with her maternal grandfather-whom she had never met and was fairly sure was dead, from things her mother had told her-but Priss never found out exactly what.

Gentle hands and a warm smile, her most basic and strongest memories of her mother.

The other picture was in a wooden frame, cracked, a little burn scorching on it, though the photo itself-of three people-was untouched.

Her mother, not looking much different from the other photo, except for the nicer clothes; her father had been of average height-only a little taller than his wife-and athletic looking, although at the time the picture had been taken he had began to put on a little extra weight. He had short black hair with a few traces of grey, brown eyes and a handsome face suited for smiling.

A ten-year-old Prisila, in her elementary school uniform, between them. Her mother had a hand resting on her shoulder, as if to keep her still for the photograph.

Priss tore her eyes away from the photos, staring down at the samisen instead. Not the same one her mother had owned. That one had been lost in the quake, like so many other things. Hers had been rescued from a junk shop two years before.

Taking up her pick she began to play once again, working out the tune of a song she was thinking about.

The past is gone, Priss told herself sternly. They're dead and there is nothing to be done about it.

Dark thoughts such as those were not at all conducive to Priss' attempt at composition. When the phone finally rang she was glad for the distraction.

She placed the instrument aside and crawled over to her phone and picked up the handset. The screen remained blank, Priss could hear nothing over the line, then there was three clicks followed by the sound of the connection being cut. Priss cradled the handset and got to her feet.

From one of the pockets of a jacket draped over her bike she removed a set of keys, a phone card-marked with a seascape-and a small box. She grabbed her shoes on the way out, then locked the door behind her. Taking a seat on the steps, she began to pull on her sneakers.

Getting up, she set off across the broken asphalt, between the pillars of junked cars. She noticed one of the Genom reclamation signs, a new one to replace to one defaced by the residents. She wondered, and not for the first time, when they would come back to complete the work they had started with Akiko's building.

Priss stopped in her tracks, trying to get control back. She should know better than to think of the dead, it was a dangerous thing for her. A downward spiral straight into depression.

Pulling her jacket tight around her, she started walking again, managing to turn her mind to Sho, a safer thing for her to think about. She hoped he was happy, or as happy as he could be. Don't let him make the stupid mistakes I made, Priss offered up the silent prayer to whichever of the kami that might dwell in such a place.

She walked along the roads, passing by phones without looking at them. Most of them were older models and of little use to her. It took her several minutes to reach a newer one.

Stepping into the booth she pushed her phonecard in and dialled the number. When it was answered she pushed her bug scanner into the socket at the bottom of the phone and waited for the steady green light that indicated a clean line. The bug scanner was a bit of a pain to use, she almost envied Nene and the others their NAVIs, but it was too much a Genom product for her taste. Wasn't she about to become a Genom product, though? She shook her head, not wanting to answer that question.

She tapped the nine key twice then listened to the message. She hung up the phone and removed her card and the bug scanner after it was done.

I hope this will be intense, Priss thought, walking back towards her trailer. She really needed something to focus her mind on and combat always worked best.

* * *

Nene came out of the testing centre feeling happy. It was over. Well, that wasn't quite true. The central exam was over. Once she got the results the next part started. The entrance examinations for the universities. Which universities would depend on her placement on the test. Nene was not worried about that. She had little doubt that she would be writing at the best.

Her NAVI began to vibrate in her pocket. She had wisely turned off the ringer before sitting down to write the test. She pulled it out of her coat pocket and flipped it open. Someone had sent her ADP account e-mail, tagged with a high priority marker. When she opened the message-having a little trouble with the tiny keypad-she found nothing. Empty file.

As she walked along she tap-chose a scrambler pattern then tapped in a number. A few seconds later a recorded message was playing giving her a time and a place.

Nene closed up the NAVI and slipped it back into her pocket. It looked like she was not going to be able to go home and sleep until tomorrow after all.

* * *

Linna lifted her leg until it was pointing straight up. She held the position for a few seconds, then slowly lowered it. She repeated the stretch with the opposite leg.

Her eyes were locked on the stage where a woman a bit younger than her was moving through a routine. It, like the two before it and Linna's own, were nearly identical in many ways. Linna realised she would not be doing anything new.

To make matters worse they were better than her; their movements had a more practised and precise look to them.

"I'm going to make a fool of myself," Linna said quietly as she dropped down into the splits.

Running seemed like a good idea. Working as an aerobics instructor was not that bad of a job; it still paid fairly well after all.

No! she thought angrily. Succeed or fail I won't run. It's time to start following my dream again.

Her decision made her feel secure and confident for all of two minutes when another young woman took the stage and danced beautifully. Yep, Linna thought, not a chance.

She didn't run though, just continued to stretch, making sure she would be in the best form possible when her turn came.

Then her name was called. Linna walked out of the wings, almost as if she was in a trance-her eyes unfocused-onto the stage. Out in front only a few of the chairs were occupied, her judges. She waited for her music to start.

If only this were a grading, Linna thought, I could be sure of that. Fighting is something I have been getting practice at.

A thought came to her, but Linna pushed it away. When came again, persistent, she considered it in those moments before the music began. What the hell, she decided; she could do worse and there was some precedent for it as well.

When the music started she did not begin the dance routine she had worked out over the past several days. She began a kata, mixing forms, letting the forms mix with the music, running on pure instincts.

She was no longer on the stage; she was on some rooftop in the city, involved in a deadly ballet with a boomer.

She was in an alleyway behind her high school, convincing three unruly gentlemen that her best friend was not interested in any type of romantic liaison with them.

She was in an abandoned factory, close quarters combat with one of the razor dolls, avenging Irene.

Dance, ritual combat, was there that big of a difference? Linna wondered, punctuating four hard notes in the music with a front snap kick, each one higher than the last. She had started martial arts to augment her dance, after all. She spun around, keeping the movement tight, moving her hands in a complex block. It felt good and she knew that is looked good.

And then it was over.

Linna Stood on the stage, feet together, her left hand, spread out over her right, in front of her. She let her hands slide to her side then bowed. She turned and walked off the stage.

Everyone in the wings was looking at her. The next woman's name had to be called three times before she went out on stage. Linna did not care. She had given the best she could and on that stage had found her love for the art once again.

If she failed it would break her heart but it would not break her. She would continue.

It took about forty more minutes for all the dancers to audition. Linna spent ten minutes warming down then went to watch.

Once the auditions were done it was another ten minutes before two women began circulating through the crowd of dancers, handing each one an envelope.

The envelopes either contained the date and time of the next audition or they held a letter of reference to another dance company in the city.

Anyone that Kikuchi-sensei gave an audition to had promise, so they said. Her letters of reference were quite valuable.

Linna wanted another audition. She wanted to be with the best.

A letter was presented to Linna, she took it. The woman who had given it to her hurried off before Linna could even thank her.

She looked around the room. Some of the women had looks of joy and relief, others looked sad. Linna stared down at the envelope, the desire to open it at war with the desire to leave it sealed.

She finally tore it open and removed the folded paper inside. She unfolded it.

'October 9th, two in the afternoon' was typed on the top of the paper, four days hence. Below it were instructions on picking up the videodisk that contained the dance routine Kikuchi-sama wanted them to learn.

Below it, written in neat characters was,

_"Yamazaki-kun, combat and dance share many similarities, and you have caught my attention. I hope your dancing skills alone are as sharp as they are when you combine them with combat._

_Good luck._

_Kikuchi Andrea."_

Linna smiled as she carefully folded the precious piece of paper up and placed it in her gym bag.  
She walked towards the theatre manager's office where the video disc was waiting for her. There were others there, all waiting for their copies.

Linna was no longer worried about them, or at least not as much as she had been. They would all have the same time to practice the routine and Linna was sure that in four days she could learn it as well as any of them.

Once she had the disk Linna found a quiet corner and pulled out her NAVI. While she was going to need all the practice she could get, she could spare a few hours and wanted to celebrate.

She got Nene's answering message telling her that she was busy for the entire day and asked her to leave a message, or if it was important to use the emergency number. Linna left a short message then cut the connection. She called Priss next but got another message. Both of them were obviously busy.

She thought that odd. Looking down at the NAVI she tapped in Sylia number.

"Moshi. Moshi, Stingray residence," she heard Mackie say.

"Mackie-kun, This is Linna. Is Sylia-san there?"

"Hai, but she's a little busy."

"Mackie-kun, is something happening tonight?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Yes."

"I didn't know."

"Neesan figured you were too busy. It's nothing special."

"I see. Well, if you get the chance, tell everyone I got the second audition."

"Congratulations," Mackie said.

"I'll talk to you later," she said, then cut the connection. Sylia had left her out, she thought, leaning back against a wall. She once again wondered if she could be both a professional dancer and a mercenary vigilante, although it seemed like an odd combination. Was Sylia's decision not to include her an answer of sorts to that question? Would she find herself left out of more and more jobs? Did she care if that happened?

Linna shook her head and pushed herself away from the wall, turning her attention back to her NAVI. She would worry about what might happen later, for now she wanted to celebrate. If Nene and Priss were busy, she had other friends who she could call. She would celebrate getting into the troupe with Priss and Nene. That would be the achievement she wanted them around her for.

* * *

Nene sat down on the floor, putting her feet into her running shoes. As she was lacing them up the lace for the right one snapped as she was pulling it tight.

She suppressed a curse and spent a minute unlacing and relacing the shoe so she had enough string to tie it off.

Standing, she grabbed her purse then headed out the door.

"I'm off," she called, pushing the door closed behind her.

She walked quickly down the path to the sidewalk and headed towards the bus stop two blocks away.

They were not meeting at LADYS633 but at the old factory where the Sky Carrier was currently housed. It was a bit too far for Nene to want to ride on her scooter so she had called to arrange a ride.

Unfortunately neither Sylia nor Linna, the people she would usually get a ride with, were going to be there, and that had left a rather unpleasant-in Nene's opinion-alternative.

She did not have to wait long. Barely a minute after she had reached the bus stop Priss pulled up on her motorcycle. She pushed the face shield of her helmet up.

"Come on," Priss said, reaching behind her to unlock a spare helmet.

Nene approached the bike, and Priss handed her the helmet. Donning it, she swung a leg over the bike, grabbing Priss' shoulder to pull herself up and on.

"Here." Priss handed her a thin cable with a jack on it. Nene looked at the cable, followed it back with her eyes to where it was plugged into Priss' helmet then realised what it was.

As she pushed the jack into her own helmet, Priss closed her face plate. Priss gunned the engine to give Nene a moment of warning before dropping the clutch.

Nene realised what was about to happen-it wasn't the first time she had ridden with the speed junkie-screamed, shaming herself, and threw her arms around Priss' waist a moment before the bike jerked forward.

Over the speakers in the helmet Nene could hear Priss laughing.

"That wasn't funny." Nene freed one hand from around Priss and pounded her fist against her back. Priss responded by gunning the engine and shifting the gears, forcing Nene to stop the assault in order to hang on for dear life. She hoped Priss' bike had ice-gripping tires.

They soon left the suburb behind, entering the city but that was only so Priss could get on one of the expressways.

Priss sped up when they hit the expressway, finally getting out of second gear. While they were moving a lot faster, Nene found the experience less scary than she had found driving in the city, at least all the traffic was moving in the same direction. While Priss constantly wove in between the other traffic, Nene found she could ignore it. She just hung on and leaned with Priss whenever necessary.

"So what do you think of this job?" Priss asked after a few minutes.

"Recon and data theft, nothing special." Nene told her.

"Yeah, it's too bad."

"Pardon?" Nene was sure she had not heard Priss right.

"Nothing important. Hold on." Priss twisted the accelerator and leaned to the left, sliding between two, slow moving transport trucks that were blocking the road.

Nene screamed.

Priss laughed.

If truck drivers swore, which seemed likely to Priss, neither Priss nor Nene could hear them and soon left them far behind.

"Why do you do that?" Nene demanded a moment later.

"Why not?" was Priss' only answer.

* * *

It had once been a factory of some sort, before the quake had cracked the foundations and rendered the building useless.

It was on the outskirts of the city on property that had been considered almost worthless with Genom concentrating their efforts on the central areas and property taxes being what they were. That was in the midst of changing though. As Priss had driven through the old industrial area she had seen several of the ever-present signs.

Sylia had bought it as a hangar for the Sky Carrier and for a tax loss. She had sold it for considerable profit but now was forced to find a new home for the Knight Saber's air support.

Priss pulled up to the imposing gates. The top of the gates, as well as the entire wall that surrounded the place, were covered by razor wire.

Nene took a set of keys from the pocket of her jacket and unlocked a small panel, set in the wall at chest level, beside the gate. She reached inside the space revealed and typed in a ten-digit code. With a jerk the gates began to open.

Priss waited until Nene had closed and locked the covering and put away her keys before driving through the gates. Once they had passed through the gates jerked to a halt and began to close.

She stopped just inside the gates and reached over to an intercom box on post.

"Hey, Mackie," She called into it. "Is it safe?"

"Everything is deactivated." Mackie's voice came over the intercom a moment later. "Come in."

Priss nodded, let out the clutch and drove towards a loading bay door twenty meters away. She went slowly, even with Mackie's assurances. They passed through the doors and were in the makeshift hanger. The Sky Carrier sat in the middle of the large room, its loading ramp open, revealing the large cargo bay. Priss could see the Silky Doll's van parked inside the craft.

She pulled up to the foot of the ramp and stopped, shutting her bike off.

Mackie walked down the ramp. He was covered in dirt and sweat, his clothes torn in a few places.

"So what's left?" Priss asked, guessing he had done most of the work already. She put her bike's kick stand down.

"We have to pull the spoilsport charges and all the surveillance equipment," he told them, walking down the ramp.

"Guess I'll take the surveillance gear." Nene pulled the cable from her helmet then took the helmet off.

"Since when did I get reassigned to D and D?" Priss took off her own helmet.

"Since you started carrying shaped charges in your hardsuit," Mackie suggested.

Priss placed her helmet on her bike's seat, smiled and gave Mackie the finger. She swung herself off the bike, grabbed the disposals bag from where it sat on the ramp and set off towards a ladder that would take her into the rafters.

"I already pulled the batteries for the detonators," Mackie called after her.

"I'll check them myself, no offence." Priss turned as she walked, ending up walking backwards so she could look at Mackie. Mackie nodded and Priss spun about so she was facing the ladder. She grabbed onto a run above her head as she reached the ladder and then began to climb.

"I'll go and pull the cameras and such," Nene told him as she picked up a tool kit and headed out of the factory.

Mackie turned back into the craft, deciding it was time to start the pre-flight checks. After making his way to the cockpit he took a seat in the pilot's chair. First he deactivated the security system, and then he began to power the systems up. The batteries fed power into everything and information started to scroll across the screens.

He nodded at the readouts; everything was as it should be. He initiated the start-up programs for the engines, and several other systems.

It was truly an amazing piece of military technology, carrying some of the best ECM and coms suites ever built. Canadian military tech, built by Aphros Industries-which made the night's mission somewhat ironic-several steps ahead of the competition. It still had military analysts scratching their collective heads in wonder.

He still did not know how Sylia had acquired it. She had just gone away for two days, telling him how to set up the factory and then had brought the aircraft in during the night.

He, Sylia, and Nene, mostly Nene and himself, had spent a week stripping the ECM, ECCM, and coms gear down, finding out how it all worked. They had even incorporated a number of the more unique ideas into Nene's new suit design.

It had rounded the team out; giving them much needed air support, and had already proved its worth on a few occasions.

He leaned back in the chair, all he could do now was wait for the computers to finish the pre-flight checks then double check after they were done.


	5. Domino Effect 5

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
** An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 5 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999) 

Based on Characters and Situations created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Priss hung upside down from one of the rafters, her hair brushing a pipe just below her. She took a pair of wire cutters from her teeth and cut the wires leading into the blast caps. They were stuck into a quarter kilo of military grade plastic explosive ringed by several incendiary charges.

Sylia had not messed around when she had set up the charges on the building.

The outside defences had consisted of non-lethal measures, stun guns, CS(tear) gas, the razor wire on the walls, things that would keep most people away and not require investigations into deaths.

If those did not work to keep them out of the factory itself, where they could find the Sky Carrier, the protocols changed.

While on the ground the aircraft itself was loaded with enough explosive to ensure that very little would be left if anyone without the security codes tried to tamper with it. Assuming they got close enough.

Sylia had placed explosives at the right locations to ensure there would be little left of the factory but a pile of rubble. She guarded her secrets like old Smaug himself protected his treasure, Priss thought, putting the wire cutters back in her mouth and removing the incendiary charges from around the plastique.

She stuffed the sticks in her pants pockets, making sure they would stay, then pulled the block of explosive free. Holding it in one hand she reached up with the other and pulled herself back into the rafters.

Sitting high above the floor with no more worry than someone sitting on a bench, Priss pulled the blasting cap free of the explosive then packed everything away in the disposals bag.

Getting to her feet she pulled the bag up by its strap and put it over her shoulder. She walked along the thin rafter, ducking under the cross beams, making her way to the ladder.

A minute later she was on the floor heading towards the Sky Carrier.

She took a seat on the ramp and began to remove the explosives from the bag, putting them into two boxes at the bottom of the ramp. She put the blasting caps into a pile by themselves to be disposed of later. She would probably put them in the basement and simply blow them up. Noisy, but they were vacating soon anyway.

Nene came in, hefting a box of several cameras and other surveillance devices. Priss got up and ran over to her, taking one side of the box before Nene dropped it.

"Almost done?" Priss asked her.

"A few more sensor suites and a couple of the alarm systems. How are the explosives going?"

"About five kilograms worth plastique, half that much of the incendiaries. Shouldn't take too long."

"That's good." Nene lowered her end of the box, putting it near the end of the ramp.

"Nearly done?" Mackie came out of the Sky Carrier.

"Almost," Nene told him.

"I'll give you a hand," he told her.

"No, I don't need one. I think Priss does," Nene told him, smiling at Priss. While she had thought his interest in her was cute-and flattering-she did not want it to go very far. He was two years younger than she was after all. It would not do to encourage him.

"Yeah," Priss told him. "I'll pull all the stuff in the ceiling, you grab the stuff on the support beams in the basement."

"Right," Mackie said.

"And make sure you check all the detonators, I found two that were still armed."

"Impossible. I checked them all."

"Well then you missed two so far. Be careful. Pull the rest of the surveillance stuff Nene." Priss grabbed the nearly empty disposals bag and headed for the ladder.

"Take care," Nene said as she headed out of the factory.

Mackie shrugged his shoulders, grabbed one of the extra disposals bags and headed for the stairs that would take him into the basement.

* * *

An hour later, the explosives were disarmed and packed away, the blasting caps had been blown, the other equipment was loaded into boxes and strapped into the cargo bay of the Sky Carrier.

Mackie wiped his hands off with his handkerchief and tied it around his head to keep the sweat out of his eyes. Nene had the co-pilot's station, which gave her control of the ECM and ECCM suites. Priss was lying on one of the personnel couches behind the pilot's and co-pilot's seats.

Mackie pushed the throttles forward, at the same time opening the vents that fed the thrust the engines generated into the wing struts where it turned the fans. In front of them a large loading door was pulled back by powerful motors. The craft began to move forward, rolling over the cracked concrete.

"Don't wake me up until we get there and if you decide to thunder in Mackie-kun, don't wake me up at all." Priss put one of her arms across her eyes.

"Give me control," Nene told Mackie softly as she grabbed the control sticks.

"Pardon?"

"Just do it."

Mackie just shrugged his shoulders and transferred control to the co-pilot's station.

Nene increased the power to the motors and adjusted the angle of the blades of the fans. The Sky Carrier began to climb.

"Oh Priss," Nene called sweetly.

"What!" Priss yelled, not bothering to take her arm from across her eyes.

"This is for the ride over here," she said in the same sweet voice, which was what really gave Priss her warning, not that it helped much.

The Sky Carrier rolled slightly to port, Priss rolled off the couch, hitting the floor.

"That's not funny Nene." Priss grabbed one of the handholds to keep from sliding back as Nene went into a climb. Nene couldn't make any of the manoeuvres too sudden or steep because off all the cargo in the back.

"Really?" Nene had to go into a dive before she got too high.

"Will you give control back to Mackie? At least I can threaten him and he'll listen."

"Say please."

"Nene!"

"You're no fun." Nene transferred the flight controls back to Mackie. The flight got very steady. She turned her attention to the ECM.

"I'm sure Neesan would disapprove of this," Mackie said quietly to himself.

They flew on, Mackie keeping the aircraft above the buildings, but below radar coverage, and flying relatively slow. Nene kept the Sky Carrier nearly invisible to anything but the naked eye-though the flat black and grey patterns painted on the craft helped with that.

"There it is," Mackie said ten minutes later, pointing out the canopy at a large structure in front of them.

"How the hell did Sylia manage to get her hands on a nuclear reactor?" Priss had come up just behind Mackie's seat.

"It's just the shell." He brought the Sky Carrier closer to the one cooling tower. "They never actually finished building the reactor. After the quake hit the city pulled a number of permits and licenses, the reactor never got on line. No radioactive materials, but due to some bureaucratic mess up it is still classified as a potential threat with respect to contamination."

"So no one wants it?" Nene asked.

"According to Neesan the land out here is not scheduled for any redevelopment for at least eight years so it has no real value that way. There also the fact that tearing it down would require a number of special precautions due to its threat classification."

"So it's too much of an expense to be valuable?" Nene looked at the structure.

"More or less. Going down." Mackie had positioned the Sky Carrier over the opening into the tower. He turned on the laser range finders and then changed the angles on the fan blades. The craft began to drop into its new home.

"Watch the port wing tip," Nene warned, seeing it getting close to the wall.

"I see it," Mackie said, looking down at the information the range finders were providing. He moved the craft less than a meter starboard.

"Wheels going down." Nene deployed the landing gear. "Wheels down and locked."

"Powering down fans." Mackie pulled the throttles back. The aircraft shook slightly as the wheels touched the concrete at the bottom of the tower. "We are down."

"Well that was fun." Priss straightened from where she had been leaning over Mackie's seat, turned and walked out of the cockpit.

Mackie tapped another set of commands into the keyboard. Above them a tarpaulin, the same colour as the concrete the Sky Carrier rested on, was slid over it. It was effectively hidden from any overhead searches as well as protected from the elements.

Nene had gotten out of her seat and went back into the cargo bay with Priss. Priss was releasing one of the cargo straps that had held the van in place. Nene began working on one herself.

Once they had the van free they opened the side panel, revealing their hardsuits.

"Let's get changed before Mackie gets back here," Priss told Nene, tossing the redhead her inner suit as she grabbed her own.

By the time Mackie got back there both had changed and were kneeling on the floor, going over Sylia's notes.

"I think we can use this tunnel," Nene said, tracing out a path on the map.

Priss nodded, but she did not look pleased.

"What is it?" Nene asked her.

"I'd be very surprised if we find those tunnels whole. Between the quake and the fact that Genom has torn down almost all of the buildings in the area, we might find all of them blocked. And if we find any that might be useful, they'll have probably been secured."

"What do you think we should do?" Mackie asked, kneeling beside Nene. "Neesan thought that tunnels might be the best way to get in."

"If there are any we can use, they might be, but Sylia-san also asked us to consider other options."

"Maybe we could just try to move over the open ground, stay under cover, get close that way," Nene suggested.

"It could work," Priss said. "What I'd like is a distraction."

"Maybe we could call in a boomer report to the ADP?" Mackie said.

"Maybe." Priss nodded as she looked down at the map.

"I don't think we should do that," Nene said. "The ADP are busy enough."

Priss gave Nene a hard stare.

"Well, they are."

"No matter, I don't think we want to do that. It will make it obvious that something is up."

"Maybe we could get some other group to cause a distraction, like a cycle gang," Mackie suggested to Priss.

"What, do you think I can just pick up my phone and arrange for a bunch of bikers to show up somewhere?"

"Yes," Nene said for Mackie.

"Unfortunately I've stopped hanging around with useful people and now hang with idiot girls who wear stupid cat ears."

"That's mean," Nene said.

Priss nodded, not looking at Nene. Her eyes were focused on the map. "Give me one of the satellite pictures," she said.

Nene handed one of the photos to Priss. "Here."

Priss took it and lay it beside the map. "Look at these," she said, putting her finger on the left side of the map.

"The construction equipment?" Mackie asked.

"The construction equipment," Priss nodded.

"What about it?" Nene asked.

"Hear about what happened in Shinagawa last week, and in Shin-Kiba the week before?"

"No," Nene said.

"I did," Mackie said after a moment. "Someone took some Genom construction equipment for a joy ride."

Priss nodded, smiling slightly. "Some of the media have suggested that it might be some sort of anti-Genom group making a statement."

"You want to do the same?" Mackie asked her.

"It would be a very good distraction," Nene admitted.

"Can we hook one up to run remotely?" Priss asked.

"Maybe," Nene said.

"I think so," Mackie told her. "The control systems should allow it."

"So how do we do this?" Nene asked.

"Here's what I think we'll do," Priss leaned forward over the map as she began to outline her plan.

* * *

**January 17th, Tuesday, 12:03am**

No one could fault Terrence's security measures. They were quite good, but there were some limits. There were areas of dead ground all around the building; places where the building mounted cameras were blind. The only way his on site security could see anything in those areas would be to actually walk out to them.

Sometimes they did just that, but not often. It would look very odd. He kept the security as subtle as possible, feeling that overt security might attract attention.

It was not his fault that Nene and Mackie could enter the Genom vehicle compound unseen. Perhaps he had expected Genom's own security measures to keep that area clean, but if so, it was not the case that night.

"Cut this," Nene told Mackie, pointing.

Mackie nodded and cut the wire. Before Nene could tell him he rewired the control system, tying the computer system into the communication system.

"Good," Nene said. She pulled her hardsuit's link cable from the crane's computer. "That should do it."

"Do you think this will work?" Mackie asked as he lifted the cover back into place.

"I'm not sure," Nene said. She reached out to hold the cover up so Mackie could screw it back into place. "It does seem excessive, but that is Priss' speciality after all."

"I'm not sure this is what nee-san was thinking of."

"Well, she did tell us to improvise if necessary."

Mackie nodded. "I'm actually looking forward to this," he told her, smiling slightly.

"There is something about mindless destruction that can be fun." She slid back out of the cab of the large crane and looked around. "It's clear," she called softly to Mackie.

Mackie closed the door of the cab, then dropped to the ground beside Nene.

"Let's go," Nene said, moving towards the small gate that they had entered the compound through. Once they had passed through the fence and had moved down into cover, Nene and Mackie separated.

Nene began circling around towards where Priss was waiting, Mackie moved towards the van that they had arrived in.

* * *

One of Terrence's security people was walking along the cracked and pitted sidewalk in front of the building, making his patrol. He maintained a façade of indifference, creating an illusion that he was just out for a walk.

When the loud rumble of an engine staring rolled out through the cool night air he increased his pace, moving out to the front of the building.

Almost a kilometre away, behind a tall, chain-link fence, one of the construction vehicles had just started up. The man watched for a moment. Although it was not impossible that night work could be carried out, the work had always been done in the day as long as he had been there.

He reached into his jacket pocket and keyed his radio. "This is station one-one calling in. We have action in the Genom vehicle compound," he transmitted.

"Understood one-one," a voice came back to him over his earpiece. "You'll be getting some support, hold position and keep on your toes."

"Understood," he said softly, watching as the lights on one of the big cranes came on. A moment later the lights began to move as the crane lurched forward. He watched for several seconds as the huge machine moved very slowly, inching towards the fence. Then, with a burst of speed, it crashed through the fence and out of the compound. "Shit," he said softly as he keyed the radio again. "We have a new problem."

* * *

Not that far away, Mackie sat in a black van, the passenger seat pushed far back, a laptop on his knees. The screen was split into four windows, three of them linked to the safety cameras on the crane, and the remaining one tied into the crane's diagnostics.

Once he sent the crane crashing through the fence he brought it to a stop, noting how the crane jerked around. He'd have to be careful to avoid too sudden movements or he might flip the vehicle over.

He raised the huge arm, then brought it and the drill tip down into the ground, tearing a gouge into the broken concrete.

He smiled slightly. It was kind of fun.

* * *

It was a big crane, Terrence noted. One of Genom's largest Kobota construction vehicles. It was a tracked vehicle, with a heavy chassis, and a huge crane arm. He felt the ground shake slightly as that arm came down, tearing a swath of destruction through the ground.

"Have someone call the police," Terrence said.

"Right away sir," one of his people said.

He considered ordering some heavy weapons brought out, but he did not want to risk discovery. He had heard about similar things happening with other Genom construction sites in the city. It was likely that it was just happening again. Someone was making some sort of anti-Genom statement.

Once the police arrived it would be all over. He hoped.

* * *

"I think he's enjoying himself," Priss said.

"Maybe he's just trying to do a good job," Nene replied.

"I suppose."

"They've called the police."

"Good, that means we won't have to do it."

"I hope this will work," Nene said.

"Trust me," Priss told her.

* * *

Mackie spun the crane about in place, the tracks digging up the ground as the heavy vehicle whirled about. He stopped before he dug the crane in too deep. It would not do to get it stuck. He gave the engine some gas and the crane lurched forward, rumbling towards the building.

He stopped the crane and lifted the huge crane arm then slammed it down again, watching as the cracked and broken patch of concrete shattered.

That was when the com system picked up a transmission from the police. Two patrol cars were getting close. Time to move to the next phase.

The crane arm raised into the air, the entire vehicle shaking as the huge piece of metal moved about. The vehicle began moving forward, heading on a path that would make it look as if it was going to avoid the building. Fortunately Mackie knew one of the police cars would be coming from the area the crane was pointed at.

* * *

Sharon stared at the small, robotic, bug under the dissecting microscope. She focused in on the tiny barbs on one of its six legs. They looked terrible, but the damage they did while traveling through the body was minimal, if they were introduced to the right place. As small at they were, they still could not fit through capillaries or the smaller of the blood vessels. The small robots were also rather fragile. They would not survive a trip through the heart.

She used one of her probes to pry the carapace off, opening the interior up to her view. Such a tiny machine, Sharon thought, sliding the probe into the interior. She read the small readout on the probe as the battery discharged its energy. She shook her head as she read the numbers. Not even half the power it would need to complete its task.

That was one of her larger problems. The tiny batteries she used were not very constant. She never knew how much power each one would hold.

Each of the bugs had a little less than a fifty-percent chance of reaching the areas in the brain they had to be. In order for the process to be successful there needed to be two hundred of tiny machines in place. That meant that over four hundred had to be injected if things were going to work.

She was not pleased with that.

The people at Aphros Industries, and others, did not seem to care. They might not, but Sharon did. She wanted to make them one hundred percent effective. She wanted to make them smaller and tougher so they could be injected anywhere or even introduced orally. The thought of being able to lace a city's water supply with the devices made Sharon smile slightly. It was not so much as to the thought of all the death that it would cause, but at the effectiveness and subtlety of it.

She sighed as pushed herself back from the microscope.  
It would take years before she had everything working as she wanted it to. Still, she had the initial stages complete. She would have the years to make it as she wished.

As she was reaching for the vial that held her samples the small beeper in her pocket went off. She removed the beeper and took a look at the message scrolling across the message window. Terrence had called a security alert for some reason. Well, she was sure that he'd take care of it.

She went back to work, examining another of the little bugs. She needed to find some way to give them more power. Perhaps she could use a second battery?

She quickly forgot about the security alert as she worked.

When, later, the building shook, accompanied by a crashing sound, she found herself wondering just what the security alert had been about.

* * *

Terrence watched the crane pass his building; not coming closer than twenty meters as it went by. He could hear the sound of sirens approaching. Terrence guessed that whoever was driving that thing had decided to bail. He guessed that he or she would get to where there was cover and then ditch the vehicle.

That was fine with Terrence. The sooner everything was over, the better. No doubt the police would want to ask him questions, but they would not be too interested in the building or the people there.

It was how he wanted things to turn out. It was how things looked to be turning out. And then it all changed.

One of the police cars came over a raise, directly in the path of the crane. The driver of the crane probably panicked for the vehicle lurched to a halt, then began moving backwards at speed. Terrence suddenly realised that it was going to come very close, perhaps even crash into the building. Just wonderful, he thought, wondering what he should do?

Now that the police were on scene his options were very limited.

He watched as the crane came on, still in reverse, looking as if it would hit the building. Another police car had appeared, but both of them were limited in their top speed by the damaged roads.

"Get everyone out of the building," Terrence called out. He was not sure, but the large vehicle crashing into the building could not be good. The crane seemed to pick up speed and he knew there would not be time to evacuate the building.

Then, just before the large construction vehicle could slam into the building, it turned sharply, as sharp as such a large vehicle could turn, avoiding the collision. An impressive manoeuvre, but not quite enough. The huge crane arm cut out like a blade, crashing through the windows and exterior walls of the third and forth floors. At that moment all the lights on the crane came on, turning night to day and blinding anyone looking at it.

Terrence squinted his eyes, trying to see. Whoever was driving that thing was pretty smart. The huge vehicle began to back away again, putting broken rubble between it and the two approaching police cars. With those lights shining, it was unlikely that anyone could see the vehicle well. The driver may have already bailed out and was making their escape on foot.

He looked away from the lights, blinking his eyes, staring up at the large hole now in the side of the building.

"Handle things down here," he called to one of his men. Then he dashed towards the entrance of the building. While it was quite possible that the entire thing had been nothing more than an anti-Genom protest of some kind, it might be something else. He was paid to be paranoid.

* * *

As soon as the crane had begun backing up, Priss and Nene had broken cover, crossing the space between them and the building at a run. They used whatever cover they could, but Priss hoped everyone was paying too much attention to the big crane to notice them.

They came up behind it. When Mackie turned on all the lights they were not facing them. They leapt up on the crane, using only the strength of the hardsuit's legs, not chancing that the thruster burn might be noticed. Onto the crane, then onto the arm, then a leap through a smashed window put them on the forth floor.

"This way," Nene said, taking the lead. She had a map of the floor with Dr. Knight's office marked on it.

In a few seconds they stood in front of a door. The sensor booms on Nene's suit extended as she performed a scan on the door, checking it for alarms.

"Hurry up," Priss said.

"I am," Nene replied testily as she turned her attention to the keypad by the door. One of her link cables slid from its housing on her powerarm. She removed the outer casing from the keypad and then slid the cable into a jack within the unit. "This won't take long."

* * *

Terrence slid to a stop in front of the elevator doors. He dug through his jacket pockets until he found his key. He pushed the key into the locking mechanism between them, turned it, and then pressed the call button.

A moment later the doors slid open. He pulled his key free, stepped into the elevator, then put his key into the lock on the control panel. There was a sudden beeping and words began to scroll across the readout on the control panel.

He cursed his Japanese ability, most specifically his shortcomings when it came to reading, and watched the repeating message twice before he realised what it probably meant. The shaking caused by the crane, while minor, had been enough to activate the earthquake safety feature in the elevator. They had stopped at the nearest floor and were locked down awaiting reset.

"God damn it," he snarled, pulling his key free and running for the stairs.

* * *

Sharon shut down everything in her lab, putting security locks on the computer there, and on the other computers it was linked to. Best to be safe.

She left the lab, sealing it behind her, then walked towards the elevators. She soon discovered what Terrence had. Wanting to check her office, she turned to the stairs.

* * *

"Got it," Nene said softly, pushing the door open. She replaced the cover over the keypad and then entered the office. Priss remained in the doorway, looking down the hall, and into the office, standing guard.

Nene walked to the computer sitting on the desk, a connection cable sliding from the powerarm. She slid it into an access port on the back of the computer and went to work. Almost immediately she ran into a security lock. "This may take a bit," Nene said.

"It better not," Priss told her.

"Hai, hai," Nene said, working her way through the security lock. She wanted to take the time to make sure there were no surprises, but that was not an option. In a few seconds she had bypassed the security lock-a protocol almost two months old, positively archaic-and began to download all the data.

Priss' sensors were not anywhere near the quality and ability of those on Nene's suit, but they were still good. She detected the sound of someone moving up the stairs a few seconds later. "We have company coming," she told Nene.

"I almost got it," she said. "Just a few seconds more." A few seconds after that, and Nene said, "got it" as she disengaged her link cable.

"Move," Priss said. She had heard the sound of a door opening nearby.

Nene moved quickly out of the office and was running towards the broken windows. Priss pushed the door closed quietly, then was after Nene.

They both leapt from the building, hoping no one was looking in their direction at the moment. Once they hit the ground they took off at speed, using dead ground and cover as best they could.

* * *

Terrence had chosen to check out Sharon's office first. When he got there the door was securely locked, nothing out of place.

He heard a door open and turned to look towards the sound. A moment later Sharon walked into view.

"What is happening?" she asked him.

"We've had some problems. There is potential for a security breach. Can you open your office door?"

Sharon looked at him for a moment, then reached out and tapped in the combination for the door. When the locking bolt slid free Terrence reached out and pushed the door open. The office looked empty. He reached out and turned the light on. After a moment he turned to Sharon and asked, "Anything look out of place?"

Sharon stepped into her office and looked about. Nothing looked out of place. "I'll check my computer," she told him.

"What about your lab?"

"I just left it, and when I left I sealed it down."

"Okay, check your computer, see if there is anything."

Sharon nodded as she walked towards her desk. Terrence stepped back out of the office and turned his attention to the keypad. He removed the cover, letting the faceplate dangle by its wires, and examined the interior.

Was that a fresh scratch on the side? Did it look as if the interior wiring had been moved about? He could not be completely certain. He would have to plug a computer into and run a diagnostic. Even if it had been tampered with, a person with enough skill could hide that.

"Did you find anything?" he called to Sharon.

"I'm still looking," she told him.

"Okay, I'm going up to check your lab. Even if there was no security breach, I think it is time we move. We'll probably have building inspectors here soon because of the damage."

"I'm not finished yet," she told him.

"You'll be able to finish elsewhere," he said as he put the cover back on the lock. "Deal with it." He turned and walked off.

"Insufferable bastard," Sharon muttered softly as she called up her security logs. Things looked good at first, but then she got down into her sixth level of security, a level well hidden, in the hardware itself. That's when she found it.

The entire contents of the computer hard disks had been copied. She sat down heavily in her chair. The more damning information was encrypted; it would take at least a few days, with a very powerful computer, to break the codes. Still, there was information that had not been encrypted, and someone smart, or who knew what they were looking for, might be able to put the basics together from that.

"Damn it," she hissed softly. Then she got to her feet and began to enter commands. Terrence was right. It was time to leave, just not in the way he wanted.

* * *

The black van passed unnoticed through the city, just another vehicle out late. In the back Nene and Priss relaxed. They had changed into their regular clothes; the hardsuits had been secured.

"I think that was a little louder than neesan would have liked," Mackie said.

"It worked didn't it?" Priss said good-naturedly. "Plus, I think you enjoyed it quite a bit."

"I was only doing what you told me to," Mackie said, smiling at her in the rear view mirror.

Priss nodded, then turned to look at Nene. "You get everything?"

Nene looked up from her laptop. "As if there was any doubt. A lot of this is encrypted, but not all of it."

"As long as we got it," Priss said, leaning back, her hands behind her head.

A few minutes later Mackie pulled up to the curb outside of the building where Priss had earlier parked her motorcycle. Priss got out of the van. "Later," she said.

"Bye," Nene said from where she now sat in the passenger's seat.

The van pulled away. Priss waved once, then watched for a moment as the taillights began to recede into the darkness. They would go back to Ladys 633 and drop everything off. Priss was certain she'd hear from Sylia sometime during the next day. She turned and walked into the parking garage, heading to where her bike was parked.

Soon she was on her bike, then engine rumbling loudly in the quiet of the empty garage. She plugged her CD player's out-line into her helmet then reached into her pocket, pulling out a fistful of coin sized, disposable CDs. She shuffled through them then removed one and slotted it into the player. The rest she returned to her pocket. As she put her bike in gear the Talking Heads, 'Life During Wartime' began to fill her ears.

* * *

Domino flipped the file open. Inside was a computer disc and a number of laser printed, photograph quality, pages of images taken from the disk.

The first was a recent one of Ian Gregor, a thin, tall man, with short black hair, a hard face and dark brown eyes. She flipped it over to the next one. Ian with his family. A wife, one teenage daughter, one prepubescent daughter.

She remembered-though remembering was not really the best way to describe it-Mason had used similar pictures but with a cross hair marked on the film, usually centred on the head of one family member. Such a simple and elegant threat, it had worked so well, until that woman who just did not care.

Threats to mate and children had not worked and it had come close to destroying Mason. He had never used that gambit again.

She flipped through several more pages of the loving father and husband with his family. After that was the important stuff.

Gregor with a woman, girl really, far too young to be his wife, too young to be considered legal in most countries. She flipped through several more pictures, finding one of the better ones. The fact that the girl bore more than a passing resemblance to his daughter was not going to help matters much.

Domino shook her head. Didn't people realise once one decided they wanted power they no longer had a private life? To part of her that seemed very cold and cruel, but that part was not at the fore.

She stared down at one of the pictures; another thought entered her mind. She pushed that thought and the ones it was raising aside. She would have time to explore her own sexuality at a later time. Business first.

"Ensure Mr. Gregor receives these as soon as possible with a note that he might wish to announce he is temporarily suspending the contract with Persies until he can fully investigate some serious allegations that have been made. He might also want to suggest that he is considering going to Daemon Inc."

"I can get it on a semiballistic and he'll have it within five hours."

"Good."

"It won't last long though," D felt the need to point out.

"I'm aware of that but it will take at least a week for the board of directors to vote him out and put someone new in his place. That should provide us with plenty of time." With Persies chief supplier refusing to deal with the company the stock was sure to drop. She was certain Genom could get at least the twenty- percent of the shares they needed to stage a hostile take over of Persies. And there would be repercussions against Mr. Gregor's company, 'Donolan' which would leave the company vulnerable to similar tactics.

The best part was that it could never be traced back to Genom. Though of course people would suspect.

Domino picked up a disk that had been delivered only ten minutes before. She slid it into the disk drive of her computer and put the information up on the screen.

"The Knight Sabers did good work," she said. "A little noisy, but very clean." Domino looked over the information that began to flash across the screen. "Much of this in encrypted."

"We could have it run through the central computer," D said.

"Yes, that would work. Still, there is information here that is of immediate use." Domino began to read through the data, D stood just behind her, reading it as well.

"Just what is Knight-Hakase up to?" Domino asked softly.

"She is designing a microscopic robot," D said.

"Yes," Domino said, nodding, "but to what purpose? What is she going to do with them? They will probably be introduced into the human body, but what will they do once they are inside?"

"A new weapon of some sort," D suggested. "The next step in the evolution of such weapons. Once it enters the body it starts to destroy it. You could even use such a design on equipment and boomers."

"It would have to be very advanced, and I don't see anything to suggest that she has reached that stage. Then again, it may be in the encrypted data." Domino removed the disk from her computer. "Run it through the central computer," she told D, holding the disk towards the boomer. "Put some watchers on the building. The Knight Sabers activities this evening were rather loud."

"I'll get right on it."

"Get to work on that Gregor matter. I'll expect a full report at the start of the workday."

"Yes, Domino-sama," D said, bowing before she left.

Domino got to her feet once she heard the door open and close. She kicked off her high heels then took off her jacket revealing the shoulder holster she was wearing. She took that off next but kept the 9mm as she walked into her bedroom in her stockinged feet.

She stood with her back to the bed then dropped down to lie on it. Placing the pistol within easy reach she laced her fingers and put them behind her head.

She had managed a lot in the space of less that 48 hours since her talk with Quincy. She had no doubt that she would succeed. All she needed was some time and more information.

Taking her hands from behind her head she unbuttoned her blouse down to her skirt's waistband.

Quincy was truly interested in Knight-hakase's work. More so than she would have thought. She wondered what Knight was up to and she wondered how Aphros might use it. And how much of a threat it might be when finished? The cold part of her fell away, no longer needed. The fear that had been there since the beginning came back, but so did something else. She remembered the pictures of Gregor with the girl.

She ran her fingers over her lace-covered breasts then down her stomach, past her navel. Her heart was beating faster, her housekeeping computer telling her that all her organic components were reacting to a state of arousal. She felt on the brink of something.

No, Domino told herself, pulling her hands back and then putting both back under her head. You really don't need to confuse issues, especially at this point. Business first, then pleasure. The cold part was back in place, for the most part.

She sat up, smiling slightly, feeling like a child promised a treat if she were good.

Standing she began to undress, wanting a shower before she went to sleep. She really did not need sleep in any conventional ways but she did so enjoy dreaming.

* * *

Tapping her pen against the side of the computer, Sylia read through the information Nene had stolen the night before. She had sent a copy to Fargo a few hours before. He had sent it to the client no doubt.

It had taken her a while to get a feel for the data that Nene had stolen. She did not know that she was performing the some sort of analysis that Domino had performed. While she did not have the raw processing power Domino's AI chip gave her, Sylia knew her father's research, and Knight-hakase's project was based on her father's work.

With that in mind, she went to work on breaking the code. Sylia went at it based on what she thought she was looking for. With that information it was easier than she might have otherwise found it.

She programmed her computer to look for patterns, then devise a key that would cause those patterns to fall into place, as she wanted.

Skill, computing power and a little luck mixed together to give Sylia what she wanted.

Feeling pleased with her work, Sylia began to read through the data. That content feeling began to fade as something else rose up in the pit of her stomach.

She could not be doing that, Sylia thought angrily. She cannot use his research like that. Sylia clenched her hands into fists, she was shaking ever so slightly with the effort to keep herself under control. She wanted to scream, to slam her fist again the screen of her computer. She managed to check that anger before she could follow through on the impulse, though it was not easy.

How dare Knight-hakase think to do such a thing! Wasn't it bad enough her father's boomer technology was being misused? Did that woman have to take another aspect of his work and twist it in such a horrible way?

Sylia opened her hands, forcing herself to relax. She took several deep breaths. She would have to do something. Her first instinct was to put on her suit and go to have a small talk with Dr. knight; she decided that such a course of action would not be for the best.

She reached for her phone. She would call Fargo and have him put some watchers on the building. She wanted to be sure of what was happening there and now she was even more curious as to who might have hired her. They had the information as well, though it was possible that they would not be able to break the encryption of the files.

She hit the speed dial number and then leaned back, waiting for Fargo to answer. She would get some sleep and then make her decision on how to handle things.

* * *

"Where's Dr. Knight?" Terrence asked one of his people.

"I think she's down in the basement," the woman, Beth Fros, said.

"What's she doing?"

"I don't know," Beth told him. "She was moving things down from her lab and office the last time I looked."

Terrence shook his head. "Okay, keep sharp. I don't think we'll see any more visitors until this morning. If anything happens, give me a call."

"Yes sir."

He turned and walked towards the elevators-reset since the earlier shake up. He pushed his key into place, turned it, and then pressed the call button. When the doors opened he removed his key, then stepped into the elevator. He used the key to unlock the car, then pressed the button for the basement.

The doors closed and the car dropped. A few seconds later the doors opened on a scene of activity. The once still boomers were now active, moving about, carrying various boxes and crates. They were loading the gear into one of two trucks, all under the watchful eye of Sharon.

He looked about, not at all sure what was going on. "What are you doing?" he demanded, walking toward Sharon.

"I'm packing up my equipment," Sharon told him simply. "Did you not say we would have to move."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She looked at him, an innocent look on her face. "Because I think that our time of co-operation is over."

"Doctor, I think you are missing something here," he said as he reached into his jacket. Before he could draw out his pistol something grasped him around his neck and lifted him into the air.

Sharon stood there, watching as one of her boomers, a construction boomer, lifted Terrence into the air. He managed to pull his pistol free but before he could do anything with the weapon another of the boomers, a C-Class, slapped it from his hand.

The construction boomer gave Terrence a hard shake, then hurled him across the room. He slammed into the wall with the sound of bones breaking. As he fell to the floor he left blood on the wall he had hit.

"Continue on," Sharon said to the two boomers that had come to her aid. As the boomers went to finish their work, Sharon walked over to Terrence's still form. She looked at him; he was lying face down, a small puddle of blood growing beneath him. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment.

She turned and walked towards the truck.

* * *

Beth was taken by surprise when the doors to the garage under the building rolled up. Two trucks drove up the ramp, the larger one just barely making it under the cement beam at the top of the ramp. They did not stop, they just drove off along the broken roads.

She grabbed her radio and tried to call Terrence to see what he wanted her to do. He did not answer the call. She was considering her options when the explosions rocked the building.

* * *

Sharon waited until the two trucks were a safe distance from the buildings, then she removed a radio detonator from her jacket pocket. She did not know very much about explosives, but she had paid attention when Terrence had set up some booby-traps in the unused sections of the building.

With that knowledge she had planted charges in her office, and her labs. She wanted to leave nothing there that anyone might use to replicate her work, or to discover what she had done. Whoever had copied the information from her computer only had clues, not any of the final results. She wanted to keep it that way.

She pressed the button on the detonator. Behind her the explosives went off, destroying her office and labs. She watched the explosions through her rear-view mirror. They were larger than she had thought, blowing out most of the windows on the floors they occurred on. The building stayed up though.

She returned the detonator to her pocket and leaned back in the seat. Beside her a boomer drove the truck away.

* * *

Sylia bolted up in her bed, forcing a cry down, not willing to disturb Mackie with her problems. Not wanting to have to explain to him what they were. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, but the dream was still fresh.

Dropping her head into her hands she cried silently for a time. Her body was racked with sobs near the end, made all that more painful by her fighting to keep them silent.

Finally it was over, not because she felt better or because the pain had passed but simply because there were no more tears, no more time for her to engage in bouts of self pity.

Reaching over to the chair beside her bed, Sylia pulled the robe free and put it on as she got to her feet. It was a little after four but she knew sleep was like a door barred to her.

Moving quietly she went to her bathroom and then to the sink where she started the cold water running.

She cupped her hands and brought the icy liquid up to splash against her face, washing away the tears, the puffiness and the redness from her eyes. She took a glass from the side of the sink and filled it, then drank the water to ease her throat.

Turning off the tap she stepped back to look at herself in the mirror. A few traces remained of the crying she had indulged in, but not many, and they would be gone soon enough.

Leaving the washroom she went back into her room and looked around, trying to find something to focus her attention on but nothing could hold it for more than a moment. Giving up she exited her room, heading for the kitchen.

Once there Sylia moved around the kitchen, gathering the things she needed for a cup of tea. While she would have preferred the feel of a bow in her hands, the fletchings of an arrow caressing her cheek, she made do with feel of fine porcelain under her fingertips, the coarseness of the tea leaves, the heat of the boiling water, to calm herself, almost meditating.

By the time she sat at the window in the dining room, looking out over the darkened city she had found her centre again, a shield of calmness around her.  
She sipped at the slightly bitter tea, inhaled the fragrance, enjoyed the warmth of the cup full of the hot water, and let herself remember.

It had seemed so innocent, the data cartridge with her name on it, delivered from her father's lawyers, by courier, a week after he had died.

It had been unique and only one computer in the house would accept it. The one with the dermal headset, that allowed it to read a bit of what went on in the brain, which made it easier to use. That was all Sylia had really known about the set up back then. She had not known of some modifications her father had made to it.

The data dump had been designed specifically for Sylia by her father who had CAT, PET, and NMR scans of her brain, who had known exactly what would happen.

There had been pain, quite a bit of it actually. A minute when everything her father had known was forced into her brain, a lifetime of work carved in her neurons with blades of electricity. She knew now that the brain tissue was incapable of feeling pain, that what she felt must have been partly psychosomatic in origin. That didn't change the fact that it had hurt.

Even afterwards there had been several weeks in which she had suffered the effects of almost crippling migraines. Again she suspected that they might be partly psychosomatic but she had never bothered seeing a doctor about them. She had known what her father had done to her and a younger Sylia had hidden it, not willing to do anything that might sully the memory of him.

An older Sylia kept the secret out of habit and for her own safety, but mostly out of habit.

She often wondered why he had done it, why he had raped her with the data, forced onto her without her consent. He could have arranged for it to come later, with information to explain just what would happen, when she could have made the decision for herself instead of having it taken completely out of her hands.

There were reasons of course, and she knew them. That the data might fall into the wrong hands in that time, that the changes in her brain due to growth would make the transferral impossible. Both valid reasons but she always felt her father doubted her, thought she would refuse so he had made the decision for her.

As always when Sylia let herself take that train of thought she came to Mackie, her father's other child, the one he had left alone. Again, she knew there were reasons, good reason, that the younger the subject the greater possibility of permanent damage being done. It made sense.

But she often wondered if it was because he was a son and in some way more valuable to their father. As always she felt a burst of anger and jealousy towards her brother.

Sylia quickly turned away from those thoughts, pushed them from her with an almost physical exertion. Even if it was true she had no reason to take her anger out on Mackie. She needed him too much-he was the only family left to her, she would not and could not alienate him because of something her father might or might not have done.

And when everything was considered, she always wondered if her father had know what he was doing to her, if he had truly been aware of what he had done?

If it had only been the data dump, if it had only been the incredible pain of it and the weeks of migraines that had followed it, if that had only been it she might have let her anger pass.

There had been more though, much, much more.

Memories, memories of her father's, deeply buried, sometimes surfacing like bubbles onto a still pond, their disturbance causing ripples. Memories brought up when she thought about her father, or his work, as she had done earlier. Doctor Knight was making her think about her father, causing the deeper memories to surface.

They were small things really, like the sight of Mason, with the gun, one of her father's last sights. She often wondered if it was a true vision or maybe some nightmare. She had no idea how her father's last memories could be recorded. She had never found an answer in his notes either.

There were memories though that cut her like a knife every time they would surface: those of her mother.

Sylia had of course known her mother; she had been ten when she had died. But Sylia had never known her as anything other than her mother. She envied Nene who was becoming friends with her parents, and Linna who had also known her parents as friends.

In a way those memories should not have been so bad but they were cruel and she hated them. In them she saw her mother as her father had seen her, the woman he loved. It hurt Sylia when those memories, almost always hard on the heels of a nightmare, would disturb her sleep.

She put aside her empty cup and stared out the window. The sky was beginning to lighten, dawn slowly coming. She watched as the sun finally pushed above the buildings of the cityscape, dazzling her with its brightness. For a moment the city was incredibly beautiful to her in the way it only was at dawn or sunset. At the other times she saw everything too clearly.

And Sylia finally let herself wonder what her father would do if he were suddenly alive again.

Would he tell her that he was proud of her or would he just hold her and cry with her for all that had been done? It was a question that preyed upon Sylia's thoughts often and one that she knew she would never know the answer to. It was only with that answer could she decide whether she hated or loved her father or perhaps all emotions had been burnt out of her and all she would feel was indifference.

But as she never could get the answer she would never feel a sense of closure in that part of her life. For the rest of her life.

She got to her feet and looked out the window, now seeing the city for what it was and wishing she could recapture the wonder she felt at only dawn or sunset.

The phone rang, surprising Sylia a little. She reached for the handset and lifted it. "Moshi, moshi, Stingray desu," she said.

"There's been a change in things," a familiar voice said.

"This line is secure."

"You're target has taken a run," Fargo told her.

"Following?"

"We are."

"Send me a report as soon as possible."

"I understand," Fargo said, then the line went dead.

Sylia held the handset for a moment, then she hung it up. It looked as if things had moved to the next level. She was going to have to deal with it.

* * *

**January 17th, 07:35am**

Nene mumbled in her sleep, her arms wrapped around her pillow, she was curled up in the foetal position.

Something intruded on a rather enjoyable dream, shattering it, waking her. Eyes barely opened, rimmed with sleep. She tried to focus on what had woken her. It took her a moment to pinpoint the alarm clock. She had forgotten to turn it off the night before. Reaching out she slapped it off. "Baka(stupid)," she mumbled, turning her face into her pillow, trying to go back to sleep.

After trying for several minutes to pass out Nene pushed herself from the pillow, realising that the attempt was in vain. She slid over, pushing one leg out from under the covers. "Samui(cold)," she said, almost pulling her leg back under the warm covers. Taking a deep breath, she tossed the covers off and got out of bed.

Running her hands through her hair, she pushed her bangs out of her eyes and walked towards the door. She had come in early in the morning and had hoped to sleep until noon having already arranged for the day off. It looked like it was not going to be.

Pushing her door open, Nene walked out into the hall and went straight for the bathroom. She could hear sounds from downstairs. Her father was probably making breakfast-it was his turn. She pushed open the bathroom door, walked in then shut and locked it.

After relieving herself she brushed her teeth then ran a comb through her hair just to give it some semblance of order. Satisfied that she had taken care of everything she should, Nene left the bathroom and returned to her room.

Taking a seat on her bed she looked around the room, wondering what she might do to keep herself occupied. She really didn't have anything to do; she had made sure of it just so she could sleep in. That she would have forgot to turn her alarm off had not occurred to her.

Shaking her head, she stood up and walked over to her desk.

There was a pile of unanswered letters on her desk. She had not been able to sit down and answer them, lacking the time. Now she had the time. She preferred e-mail but her mother had always told her that if anyone sent her real mail then she should reply in the same way. Her mother had a number of ideas that Nene thought slightly odd, and still Nene did as she said. As if she had a choice, Nene thought, rummaging through her desk drawers in search of some stationary.

She took three pads of stationary from her desk, flipping them open, looking at the paper inside. She chose the one with all the cats then put the other two away.

The first letter in the pile was from her grandmother, her mother's mother. For the most part she was curious about how Nene was and when she was planning on getting married. Her grandmother was a bit of a matchmaking nut. She fell back on her mother's advice for answering the letter, ensuring there was nothing that would make her grandmother go to work.

The next two were not very important, some cousins she had never met but had been corresponding with on and off since she had been twelve. For the most part they wanted to know if she was dating and more importantly if she was sleeping with anyone. Marie also wanted to know a little bit about the universities in Japan as she was thinking of attending one. Nene answered the questions as best she could then put it aside.

Replying to the letter from Yukiko was something she had been putting off. Yukiko Yasui and she had known each other since junior high school; they had been classmates through senior high, until Nene had run away. They had both spent a lot of time influencing each other, depending on who was feeling a bit stronger on any given day. She had pulled Nene into the tennis club. Nene had shown her how to get around passwords. They had been best friends. From the tone of earlier communications-she had heard from a lot of old friends since coming to live with her parents again-and the letter in Nene's hands, Nene's running away had strained that friendship.

Nene looked at the picture that had come with the letter. Her and Yukiko outside of the school, in their tennis uniforms. Yukiko had Nene in a headlock, twisting her knuckle into the top of Nene's head. She was holding a broken tennis racket. Nene smiled, shaking her head. She had been sure that the ball was not that close to the net post. In the end, tennis had never been her forte. She could get by on the courts, but that was it.

Putting the picture aside, Nene got up from her seat and walked over to her closet, sliding the door open. She was pushing outfits aside, looking for her briefcase, when she found her school uniform. She looked at it for a moment, then removed it from the closet. She took the jacket from the hanger and placed the skirt on her bed.

Walking towards the mirror, she pulled on the jacket over her T-shirt. Looking at herself, she pulled the jacket straight. The dark blue blazer had a Roman numeral '3' pin, next to a C pin, on the right lapel. On the left lapel was the school pin. It all seemed so long ago, Nene thought, turning away from the mirror and walking back to the closet.

A little more searching found the briefcase she had used in school, another thing her mother had saved and brought along. She pulled it from the closet and walked back to her desk.

Hanging from briefcase were an Omamori from Meiji Jinja, a small, silver bell and a pair of cloth dolls. Nene unclipped the dolls from the briefcase and held them up at eye level. They were of her and Yukiko, more of a caricature then any attempt at realism. Kind of squashed, in a cute way.

Nene had made two of Yukiko; Yukiko had made two of Nene. Then they had exchanged one. It had been sort of a cute thing to do, though it had started rumours that they were a couple. No truth in it, but at an all girls' school, close friendships always drew a bit of attention.

Smiling, Nene clipped the dolls back to her briefcase then put it on the floor beside her. She picked up her pen and started writing. Time to answer some of Yukiko's questions.

* * *

Sylia drove between the piles of rubble and the mounds of old cars. The broken pavement and the slushy roads made driving a little challenging. The entire area should have been reclaimed several months before but without Mason the project had been slowed considerably. The construction equipment in the area suggested that those problems would soon be dealt with. She wondered what Priss would do then.

She rounded a pile of cars, her right fender almost brushing the twisted fencing on the side of the road, and then pulled up beside Priss' trailer. After stopping her car she got out, then set the security alarms and measures. Her foot on the stair leading up to the side door, Sylia stopped to listen. There was music coming from inside the trailer, but it certainly did not sound like anything she had heard from the singer before.

Continuing up the stairs she knocked on the metal door.

"Come," Priss called from the inside.

Sylia pushed at the door, which was unlocked, and entered the trailer. "Ojamashimasu(I'm enteringidiom)."

Priss was seated amongst the cushions on the floor, a samisen across her knees. She deftly moved the bone pick over the strings, calling forth music from it. It was beautiful; Sylia could truly appreciate that now that the sound was not being filtered through the trailer's walls.

"What is it Sylia?" Priss asked, looking up from the instrument but still playing it.

" I need to talk to you," Sylia said.

"So, talk."

Sylia took that as an invitation and pulled the door closed then walked over to Priss. She knelt down on one of the cushions and spent a short time just listening to Priss play. She was very good. The traditional music lacked the anger of her other work, it was peaceful. For a time Sylia felt like a Daimyo might.

"We should have some privacy," Sylia said.

Priss nodded and stopped playing. She pulled a small remote unit from on top of her computer and pressed a few buttons. She looked at the display for a moment then nodded. "We're clean."

"I want to talk about last night."

"What about it?"

"You made things rather loud."

Priss smiled. "I know."

"Was it necessary?"

"We checked the tunnels. The only ones that looked promising were being monitored. I thought that going loud might be the best."

"Knight-hakase left the building early this morning."

Priss looked at Sylia for a moment, then back down at her samisen as she began to play. "I stand by what I did."

"It's quite possible that going in quietly may not have made a difference," Sylia conceded. "Still, in the future I would prefer subtlety when possible."

"So now what?"

"That is the question," Sylia told her. "I discovered what Knight-hakase was working on."

"And that was?"

"It is hard to explain," Sylia admitted. "To put it simply, she has designed a mechanical parasite that sets up in human brains and can trigger a greatly enhanced fight or flight response. Added to that, it increases the targets aggression levels."

"So they'll fight." She stopped playing.

"Brutally."

"Is this some kind of combat drug?" Priss asked. She had experience with combat drugs. She had lost a lot of friends to them.

"It could be used as such, but it also has other applications. Right now it is limited in how it can be introduced to the body. In time it may become possible to introduce it to a city's water supply. The entire population could become infected, as it were. The process can be set to go off at a specific time, or at a specific signal."

"I see," Priss said, picturing the entire population of MegaTokyo snapping at once. "Could be quite effective."

"It could even be used to control a population."

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I have some people keeping an eye on Knight-hakase. I'm going to wait to see if the people who hired us act. If they don't, then we will."

"This is important to you?"

Sylia nodded.

"Why?"

"It's based on some of my father's research."

"He got around, didn't he?"

"It was never his intention that his work be misused as it has been."

Priss said nothing for a moment. "You'd have thought he would have given some thought for the long term consequences."

Sylia was about to say something in defence of her father, then paused for a few seconds. "You may have a point."

"Anything else?" Priss began to play the samisen again.

"The situation with Linna," Sylia told her.

"Getting worried?"

"If she does not get this one, she will get another."

"She can handle both jobs well enough," Priss went back to playing. "For a time at least."

"For a time," Sylia nodded.

"You are thinking of replacing her?"

"No. I am thinking of considering replacements though, if she goes."

"Fine, but why come to me?"

"I could use your help," Sylia said.

"Why?" Priss asked as she stopped playing.

"I'll be looking for someone exactly like Linna. I think you can help me stay away from that."

"Would someone like Linna be a problem?"

"No, but I won't find someone like her. I might find someone so close that I overlook some problems. I put the team together once, but familiarity may make me miss certain things now."

"All right," Priss nodded as she began to play again. "I'll help."

"Thank you."

"When?"

"No rush, not as of yet."

"So, anything else?"

"We'll see," Sylia said. "Tonight, standard time and place."

"I'll be there," Priss said.

"The music is very beautiful," Sylia said.

"Just something from a long time ago."

"You play very well."

"First instrument I learned."

Sylia was about to ask who had taught her but decided against it. That might lead into dangerous areas of the past. She understood the danger of the past as well as anyone.

"I've never seen you play it before."

"Not much call for the samisen in a rock band," Priss said. "Of course," she hit the strings harder and changed the tune, something modern, "I've seen some people use electric ones for an interesting sound."

"I prefer it as it is."

"So do I," Priss said, returning to the traditional music.

"I'll be going now." Sylia got to her feet.

Priss nodded and continued to play as Sylia showed herself out. She stayed just outside the door for several minutes, listening to the music.

* * *

Domino stood in front of Quincy, waiting for him to say something. She had just made a full report to him on the status of her work. Now she had to wait.

"What are your plans for the Persies projects in Antarctica?" he asked her.

"I've given it some thought and decided we are best cancelling them as soon at we take over the company. While that will result in a loss for us, the public relations of such a move is not to be underestimated."

"And the jobs that will be lost?"

"Increasing the work they are doing in India not only makes the corporation more valuable but will absorb the people who lose their jobs in Antarctica."

"Satisfactory," he told her. "What of Knight?"

"She is not working on a control system. Her work, from what we have been able to decrypt, looks more like a weapon system."

"What kind of weapon system?"

"A mechanical parasite of some sort, designed to induce a certain set of behaviours on the target. Rage and a very increased fight or flight response, from what we have been able to determine. I don't think Aphros Industries is aware of this work. Perhaps only a small section of its management staff."

"So how do you plan to deal with this?"

"I am researching Aphros Industries to find out who might be dealing with this. I also have people watching Knight-Hakase."

"Do you think it might be possible to affect a take over of Aphros Industries?"

"There are ways, but they would destroy the company."

Quincy nodded. "I want Knight-hakase's work controlled."

"I understand," she said, bowing deeply, then turning to walk from the office. She bowed once more at the doors before leaving.

Quincy watched her the entire time.

* * *

Several floors lower than Quincy's office, Domino stared out of the windows, looking out over the city. She was shaking slightly, but only slightly. She could never afford to show weakness in front of Quincy, but afterwards it was fine. Afterwards it was expected.

Her control had receded slightly, letting all the emotions she held bottled up wash over her. So much had happened since she had been born, so much had changed. Sometimes she barely felt in control. Other times she felt the world was hers. It was a good thing, to have so much power.

"Excuse me," someone said from behind her.

"Yes?" Domino said, turning to face the person.

She recognised him right away. Devon Okami. One of Genom's Genro(elder statesman). Maybe the only one. Her defences went up right away. The man in front of her was dangerous, dangerous and powerful. Mason had hated him. Domino thought she should feel something in her, something powerful, but there was only an empty space.

That empty space was something she was familiar with. She had experienced several times over the past several days. From Mason's memories she knew how he had felt about certain people, but she did not have those feelings. Love, hate, they were just words without the emotional back up. What she did feel was a sort of wariness. Devon Okami was a very powerful individual in Genom and not to be taken lightly.

"You look like someone who could use a person to talk to," he said.

She looked at him for several seconds. "Pardon?"

"Sorry. Poor opening line. Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?"

Domino thought about it for a few seconds. Okami was a dangerous man, but he could be useful ally. "Thank you," she said.

He smiled at her and offered her his arm.

Domino took it and let him lead her towards the executive bar.

* * *

"Traffic sucked," Priss slipped out of her boots and stepped up, out of the genkan. "Trailer jack-knifed just before the exit." She slid her feet into a pair of slippers waiting for her. "Anyone else here."

"Not yet." Mackie told her.

Priss took of her jacket and hung it on a coat stand near the door. She reached up and loosened the collar of the highnecked blouse she was wearing.

"Sylia waiting?" she asked him.

"In the living room, come on."

Priss followed him into the spacious room, taking a seat in a chair opposite to Sylia who was reading over several sheets of paper, making notes on her laptop computer.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Mackie asked Priss who just shook her head in answer. Mackie took a seat on the couch with his sister.

A few minutes later Linna showed up. She had just pulled a coat over her exercise gear and looked like she had come straight from work.

"Can I use your shower?" she asked Sylia.

"Certainly," Sylia said.

"Thanks," she headed back towards the living section. "Rough day."

"She's working at this one," Priss said, looking at Sylia.

"Main audition tomorrow," Sylia told her.

Priss nodded. She wondered what Linna would do if she got in. A dancer's schedule was pretty demanding and she suspected that Linna would not get away with the stuff she did playing at Hot Legs.

Nene showed up shortly before Linna got out of the shower. Once they were all there Sylia began.

"Last night's mission uncovered something that I find disturbing. Knight-hakase, a protégé-of sorts-of my father has been working with a technology that could be misused, which will be misused."

"What do we do about it?" Priss asked.

"I'm considering options right now," Sylia told her. "I suspect, though I am not sure, that we were working for Genom. I'm curious as to how they might handle this, but I do not wish Knight-hakase's work to come to fruition."

"So are we going to go after her?" Linna asked.

"I'm not sure 'go after her' is the term I would use, but it is quite possible that we will deal with her, very soon. She has fled MegaTokyo after last night's actions. Currently she is set up in an abandoned ski lodge in the mountains of Miyagi-Ken."

"A lot of shrines in that area," Nene said. "Nice skiing too, of course."

"Thank you Miss JTB(Japan Tourism Bureau)," Priss told her.

"Just mentioning it," Nene said defensively.

"It is a defensible area, though certainly not impregnable. My reports are somewhat sketchy, but she might have boomers among her defensive capabilities," Sylia told them.

"So, do we go in there fully loaded?" Priss asked.

"Perhaps, though if we go in the initial mission will be minimum weapons. If we need them, we will have heavier weapons to call on."

"If we go, when?" Nene asked.

"Tomorrow night. We will leave at 10:30pm, we should reach the area by 1am," Sylia told her.

"How long?" Linna asked.

"No more than an hour I would hope," Sylia told her. "If we go in, we go in fast, find what we want, and take it, or destroy it."

"Do we have any building plans or such?" Nene asked.

"Yes, but they are pre-quake. The quake did not effect Miyagi as much as it did this area, but there was still damage. That is one of the reasons the ski lodge is abandoned."

"I think we can save any questions till tomorrow. If this mission is a go I'll let you know by no later than noon tomorrow. We will then meet at the reactor no later than 10."

"Roger," Priss said.

"10pm," Nene said, taking out her NAVI.

"You're not actually going to put that in your scheduler are you?" Priss asked.

"What?" Nene looked up at her. "No," she folded the NAVI close. "I guess not."

"Damn." Priss shook her head.

"I have some work to do," Sylia said, getting to her feet. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Me too," Mackie stood.

"Bye," Nene said, and waited until both Mackie and Sylia were gone. "Linna," Nene asked as she reached into her purse. "What do you think of these?" Nene removed a pair of hair clips.

"Didn't I tell you to get rid of those?" Priss said.

"Not in so many words. I think you just wanted me to stop wearing them."

"What are they?" Linna asked.

"Look," Nene said as she slid the clips into her hair then activated the projectors. The cat ears sprang from her head. "Aren't they cute?"

Linna stared at Nene for a moment. "They're cute, in a way, but, well, they are a little stupid," Linna said.

Priss nodded.

"Well, so are most fashions," Nene said. "Remember loose socks?"

"Loose socks were stupider," Linna admitted.

"We use to beat up anyone wearing loose socks," Priss said. "Used the sock glue to stick them to their foreheads."

"Priss-san?" Nene said, looking over at her. "A bully? I'm so surprised!"

"Got any sock glue?" Priss asked Linna then looked at Nene's socks, which while not being loose would work well enough.

"No," Linna said.

"You hold her, I'll go get some super glue from Mackie then."

Nene took that as her cue to bolt.


	6. Domino Effect 6

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 1 of 5)  
Domino Effect (Part 6 of 6)  
by Shawn Hagen(1997;1999) 

Based on Characters and Situations created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Music filled the room, pounding with intensity, lights flashed, the air was scented with smoke, and alcohol and sweat. It was sensory overload at its finest. Priss drank it all in, for a moment becoming one with the room.

After leaving Sylia's place she had wandered about for a bit before meeting up with Yuuko.

"So what do you think?" Yuuko yelled over the noise of the band.

"They're extremely bad but they're loud. I respect that," Priss yelled back. "You really used to play with them?"

"Not so long ago. 'Gross Stupidity' seemed like a dream come true when I first started playing with them. They won't go anywhere."

"Neither may the Replicants," Priss told her.

"Would you believe me if I told you that didn't matter?"

"Right now, yes. A few months from now the novelty and the desire to express your art will wear off. Then it's just a job that goes no where."

"That doesn't seem to affect you."

"I'm on a path of self destruction."

Yuuko laughed, thinking Priss was making a joke.

"Hear from Okita?"

"A few hours ago. Things are progressing but he's not sure, it could go either way. He says he's hopeful but I figure he'd say that if they were roasting him."

"Is the record industry full of people like him?"

"Maybe, I haven't had a lot of contact with them since Genom decided to blacklist me."

"I've heard some of your earlier stuff, it was..." she seemed to be searching for a word, "interesting."

"It was loud and bad," Priss told her.

"I was trying to be nice."

"Don't bother."

"Actually it wasn't all that bad." Yuuko found herself screaming unnecessarily. The music had suddenly stopped.

Both women turned to look over at the stage. There was a small fire, which was quickly put out, and the band was rushing around the stage.

"Looks like something blew up." Priss said.

"Those idiots." Yuuko shook her head. "Never knew how to set up their equipment, lost a good set of speakers once because of them. Let's get the hell out of here, place will explode once everyone realises that the music isn't going to start up again." She finished her beer and got to her feet.

"I forgot about how wonderful these places were." Priss got to her feet, leaving her drink untouched.

"A real joy to play in."

They left the "Rat's Loft", a second story dance club over a warehouse. Priss had played in the place once when it had been called "Club Black". The venue had not changed much since then.

"So do you like working at that Cabaret?" Priss asked as they walked down the stairs. From behind them came the sound of breaking glass and shouting-obviously Yuuko had been right in suggesting they leave.

"Not really." She jumped down the last four steps.

"But you don't have much choice."

"Yeah, it could be worse though. At least I'm not expected to sleep with anyone. Sit, talk, drink watered scotch or coffee, make them buy more drinks, but no sex. What did you do to make ends meet before you started making real money?"

"I'm making real money? News to me."

"But all you do is play in the band."

"Ever see where and how I live?"

"You have one of the best bikes on the streets, that has to be costly."

"Not that much," Priss lied.

The two women walked in silence for a time.

"Think we'll make it, the record contract?" Yuuko asked.

"I might, but I get the idea Oshiro is not interested in the Replicants." They stepped out of the alley they had been walking through onto a brightly-lit street. They were immediately surrounded by the late night crowds.

"That sucks," Yuuko told her.

"If anything does come of this I'll see what I can do for everyone, but I'm not even going to think of making any promises."

"Maybe we can get a new lead and set ourselves up as your opening band for any touring?"

"Who knows? Like I said, no promises."

"Well knowing someone who makes it has got to help."

"Yuuko-san, don't pin your hopes on this." Priss didn't look over at her Bassist as they walked along the streets.

"I have to pin my hopes on something don't I?" she asked, more than a little anger in her voice. Priss wondered whether it was the alcohol or real anger.

"I guess it's a weakness we all share." Priss looked up at the sky; the clouds were turned into a choppy sea by the winds, the crescent moon coming into view every few seconds as well as the stars. "Have to hope for something."

"What do you hope for Priss?"

"Nothing," she told her.

* * *

**January 18th, Wednesday, 10:37 am**

The music remained constant, but the dance did not.

Linna had been rather impressed, and admittedly a little scared, when she had watched the tape of the dance routine.

Learning a dance routine that way was not the easiest way to do so, but Linna had decided it was part of the test.

She danced, changing styles many times. Classical shifted into modern shifted into ballet shifted into jazz shifted back to classical. It was a difficult routine; it pushed her harder than she had been pushed in quite some time.

Days of hard work, working herself hard, taking time off work, ignoring the Knight Sabers for the most part and it all came down to a three minute routine-three minutes for a decision that would have a great effect on her life. It did not seem right to Linna but it was the way things were. She had to deal with them.

It ended simply, a bit of flourish and a theatrical bow. Linna held to pose for a moment as the music faded then relaxed.

"Could you come down here," Andrea said, not bothering to look up from her palmtop computer. She was a short woman, pretty-looking younger than her forty years-with brown eyes. She wore her light brown hair long.

Jumping off the stage Linna did her best to maintain some poise as she rushed to Andrea's side.

As she stood next to the woman's chair she wondered if she should start the conversation. Would that make me seem confident or pushy? Linna wondered. The choice was taken out of her hands.

"Do you think that performance was particularly good Yamazaki-san?" Andrea shut off her palmtop as she looked up at Linna.

"Well..."

"It was horrible." Andrea put her computer on the floor then got to her feet. "Your movements were not crisp," she slid past Linna into the aisle. "Your timing is off, your skill in several styles is almost non-existent. Now what do you think of your performance?"

"It was not very good, Kikuchi-sensei." Linna felt crushed.

"I'm glad you can admit it. Do you really think that you could handle a leading role?"

"Perhaps if I had a chance." Linna had not meant to say that, nor for her tone to have that sharp of an edge.

"True." Andrea turned and walked towards the stage. "Everyone wants a chance, I can't give everyone a chance though." She jumped up onto the stage and turned to face Linna. "Supporting role, understudy to a lead role, that will give you the time you need to clean your technique up and improve your skill in several areas."

"Pardon?" Linna was not sure she had heard right.

"You are very good Yamazaki-san, very good, bordering on great. I can use that, if you want the job."

"Yes!" Linna almost shouted as she ran to stand in front of the stage. "Yes, of course I want it." Linna stepped back slightly. "Thank you very much," Linna said formally as she bowed deeply.

"You earned it." Andrea stepped down from the stage. "Of course had you put a bit more work into it you could have earned a leading role." She shook her head. "I expect all your time - you will have to give up your current job. I do not want to deal with the problems of my dancers juggling work schedules."

"There is no problem with that," Linna said quickly.

"You are aware that the salary I offer is not what most people would consider high?" She asked smiling slightly.

"I'd be happy to pay for this chance," Linna said in all sincerity.

"That's cute," Andrea told Linna. "Stupid, but cute." Linna blushed, feeling like some over eager teenager.

"I own a building close by where I supply rooms for my dancers. Sort of a dormitory. Rent's cheap, and if you go in with everyone on buying food in bulk it can really stretch out the paycheque. If you want there's several empty rooms, small rooms of course." She smiled.

"No, that shouldn't be a problem," Linna told her. "I have managed to invest some money, it should help to pad things out."

"The offer is always open as long as you dance for me. First rehearsal is day after tomorrow, be here no later than eight in the morning." Andrea walked towards her seat. "Now get out of here, celebrate, have some fun."

"Thank you," Linna said as she bowed again.

"Don't mention it." Andrea turned around. "Take care Yamazaki-san. You have promise, but don't let that go to your head. Every dancer I choose has promise."

"Thank you." Linna said again then jumped up onto the stage, walking towards the wings to get her things.

Andrea took her seat again and picked up her computer, turning it back on. She pressed one of the keys, switching it over to voice recognition.

"Open file, Yamazaki Linna. The girl has spunk and talent; she will either fall on her face or succeed admirably. It's going to be fun watching whatever she does. Save that, move file to active dancers, close file. Open file, schedule." Andrea looked at her calendar that came up on the screen.

* * *

"Who has the family put in charge of Aphros Industries?" Domino asked D.

"A man named David Frost. He's thirty six, has an impressive number of degrees, and is the oldest grandson of the woman who originally founded Aprhos."

"Anything special about him?"

"Beyond his degrees, nothing that I have uncovered."

"What about his relationship with his family?"

"While such information is difficult to acquire, what we do have suggests that he has grown distant from them."

"Interesting."

"How so?" D asked.

"I do not think that Aphros Industries is aware of Knight-hakase's true work," Domino said. "I think they are being used. If so, I am interested in who might be using them. It is possible that Mr. Frost is the link we are looking for."

"What do you want done about him?"

"Keep an eye on him. I might decide to let his family know just what he is up to, once I know that. The effect may be interesting."

Domino leaned back in her chair. "Why use Aprhos Industries in the first place though?" she asked softly.

"No one would expect anything of them. They are a clean company, well respected."

Domino nodded. "A good cover I suppose, for a time." She thought about that for several seconds, then shook her head. "I want to take over MRAStech."

D tapped a few keys on her laptop. "Genom controls two percent of the voting shares of MRAStech at this moment."

"Does Andrews-hakase have any shares?"

"No," D shook her head.

"We'll need about fifteen percent to vote out the current board of directors and move our people in. I'd rather have twenty, just to make sure of things." Domino turned her chair so she was facing her computer. Her fingers tapped across the keys as she began calling up information. "Mastason-hakase, Hendle and Saunders. That will give us twenty one percent."

"Hendle and Saunders will sell, as long as the offer is large enough, but Mastason-hakase will be difficult," D told her.

"I'm aware of that, but I think I Mastason-hakase will work with us, as long as the right offer is made. As for Hendle and Saunders," Domino smiled, "I think I have something that they will want. Have one of my office ladies arrange a teleconference as soon as possible. I want you to put a operations team together, surveillance, extraction, possible termination."

"I'll have one ready in a few hours," D said.

"Good. You may go now."

D nodded as she got to her feet.

Domino watched her go, then turned her chair around to look out the window. She did not have the biggest office suites in the tower; in fact it was one of the smaller ones, but she did not mind. It had the best view, next to Quincy's.

* * *

Priss down shifted as she applied only slight pressure to her brake lever, letting the engine compression slow the bike down for her. Exerting a little more force on the lever brought the bike to a stop directly in front of a heavy, steel door set into the concrete wall of the old reactor complex.

She looked around the deserted area, but because the reactor sat on an old landfill, there was nothing else close by. No one would want to put anything near a nuclear reactor in the first place. The nearest road was shrouded by a line of trees that that acted to hide the reactor. Priss suspected that the trees must have been transplanted for the very reason. They were too even to be natural and too big to be recent growth.

Turning back to the door she stared at the radiation-warning symbol. Mackie had told her no radioactive material had ever been brought in but she still felt a small touch of worry. It was no surprise the area was so deserted.

She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and selected the one that was still shiny. She put it into an equally new lock at chest height and opened up a small cabinet door.

Inside was another lock, which she also had the key for and a keypad. After inserting and turning the key she typed in two sets of codes. As the door began to slide back she put her keys back in her pocket and pushed the cover back into place. There was a click as the locking bolts slid home.

By then the door was fully open and Priss put her bike into gear, driving through the opening. She went down a ramp which levelled out into a tunnel lit by red lights. She reached over and tapped another code into another keypad. Above her the door slid closed once again.

Satisfied the entrance was sealed she took off down the tunnel, noting the slight refraction of the light beams as her bike passed through them. They were triggers for taser nets, and near the end of the tunnel, explosives. Priss was not worried. If she had not disarmed everything the taser net would only knock her unconscious and the explosives, well that would be so quick as to be nearly painless.

It did not take her long to reach the far end of the tunnel and another steel door. Squeezing her brakes she skidded to a stop, letting her bike slide perpendicular to its original bearing.

Reaching out she tapped a lit button just below a small, locked cabinet that held a keypad and a retinal scanner. She did not have to worry about using them though, a camera above her swivelled to face her, she was not the first to arrive.

As the door slid back Priss turned the handlebars sharply and drove through.

Mackie, in his bulky, heavy hardsuit, was loading missiles into one of the Sky Carrier's many racks.

"You arrived just in time to miss most of the work," Linna accused Priss.

"It's a talent." Priss shut off her bike and pushed the kick stand down with her toe.

"An annoying one," Linna said quietly as she stretched, arching her back. She had pushed herself just a little too hard during the audition.

"So, you got the job," Priss said, deciding to side track Linna.

"I got it!" Linna said.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. You still missed most of the work."

"Sorry," Priss said, rolling her eyes.

"So what's the news?" Priss got off her bike.

"Weather is good until we reach Miyagi, then we hit a blizzard," Sylia said as she stepped out of the Sky Carrier.

"But we're still go?" Priss asked as she took off her helmet and locked it to the bike.

"We're still go," Sylia nodded. "All right, let's start the briefing, I want to be airborne as soon as possible. Mackie," she called, "come here."

As Mackie shut his suit down and exited it the others had gathered around Sylia at the bottom of the ramp.

Sylia opened up a briefcase revealing a holographic stage. She pulled the keyboard out and began entering commands. When Mackie joined them a few seconds later she had it up and running.

"This is the ski lodge in Miyagi. Closed down since an avalanche buried part of the slopes, the lodge itself is in good condition. Still has electricity and has been maintained in hopes of one day opening the slopes up once more."

"Pretty secluded," Linna said, noticing there was nothing around it but for a few roads.

"Which is no doubt why Knight-hakase chose it as her bolt hole."

"How are we going in?" Priss asked.

"The Sky Carrier will put us down in this valley," she pressed a button and the map pulled out, the lodge buildings loosing definition. "It is about six kilometres from the lodge. We'll move in, along this river," a red line appeared on the map, "to this point here."

"Our observation post?" Nene asked.

"Yes. From there we move in. We should be able to do this quietly."

"And what if we can't do it quietly?" Priss asked.

"The Sky Carrier can be on site within thirty seconds. With it and the motosalves as support we should be able to deal with all opposition."

"Are we getting paid for this?" Linna suddenly asked.

Sylia gave her an odd look for a moment. "I'll cover your normal fee."

"Sorry," Linna said. She really did not care about the money all that much, but after quitting her job at Phoebes, she was thinking a lot about her savings.

"What is the heaviest resistance we can expect if it comes down to a fight?" Priss asked.

"Hard to say. Boomers, mostly security models, perhaps some traps. I don't think we'll run into any human resistance beyond Knight-hakase herself. Nothing we can't handle."

"Okay," Priss nodded.

"Any other questions?" Sylia waited a moment. "Then we'll continue the briefing aboard the Sky Carrier."

* * *

Mackie was sweating slightly as he fought the winds, doing his best to keep the Sky Carrier level. Somewhere close by was the valley he was supposed to land in, but he had almost zero visibility with all the snow. The gale force wind buffeted the aircraft, tossing it back and forth. He grasped the controls tighter and looked at the instruments. According to them, he was almost directly over the target area.

Taking a deep breath he began to descend, keeping the rate of descent slow. He had looked at satellite photos of the valley and while there was a lot of clear space, there were also a lot of rocking outcroppings and trees. Spearing something through one of the Sky Carrier's fans would not be good.

His visibility suddenly improved and the wind speed dropped, making it much easier for him to control the craft. He looked around and realised that the valley was acting as a windbreak of sorts. While not perfect, it helped.

He spotted a clear area, rocky, and there was a lot of snow, but it looked good. Turning the Sky Carrier, he eased back on the throttles, letting it drop slowly towards the ground. He turned on the landing sensors, which were of limited use with the weather, and checked the area out. The ultra sound showed him several deep pockets filled with snow. He marked them on his topographical map so he wouldn't put the landing gear into one, then put the Sky Carrier down.

The landing was a little rough, the craft slid to the side a moment after he was down and he almost took off again, but it settled securely.

"Nice landing Ace!" he heard Priss shout from the back of the Sky Carrier.

"Old woman," Mackie said softly, shutting the engines down. He activated the skin heaters to keep the craft from icing up, though they would make it stand out like a beacon if anyone was using IR scanning tools.

"Ready to go?" he asked over the intercom.

"Open the ramp. If we need you, come in fast," Sylia told him.

"Gotcha," Mackie said, opening the ramp.

* * *

Priss went out first, Nene beside her. Nene had all of her suit's sensors up, scanning the entire valley. Priss was there to protect Nene.

"Clear," Nene said.

"Let's go," Sylia said, coming out of the Sky Carrier, Linna beside her. "Two, you're on point, four, rear guard. Three, you're with me."

"Roger," Priss said, moving out, making towards the river. Sylia followed her after forty seconds, Nene beside her. Linna held back for a minute then went after them.

Priss moved quickly, walking instead of using her flight units. Sylia wanted them to approach the lodge as unobtrusively as possible. She moved on the frozen river, watching her sensors, stopping every five hundred meters, waiting for Sylia and Nene to show, then moving on again.

The ice was slippery, hard to move on at times. While the trees around her offered some shelter from the wind, it still made the going a little harder. When she looked back the way she had come she could see that the wind and falling snow had erased most of the signs of her passage. Priss dealt with it all though, just glad she was in the hardsuit, which was both insulated and heated. Being out in just normal clothing would not have been pleasant. Even with all the insulation and heaters her feet still felt cold.

During one of her stops she opened her helmet, wanting to look around the area with her eyes. After a few seconds her breath began to condense on the rapidly cooling armourglass. Priss swore softly and pulled the helmet closed again. The heating units provided more heat and a pair of air vents mounted on either side of her temples began blowing air onto the armourglass, clearing it.

Just one of the many minor problems that extreme cold caused.

She was almost half way to the complex when the ice gave out under. It happened suddenly, she had little time to react and there was nothing close by for her to grab onto. She fell into the river, sinking right away

The suit's environmental computer detected the danger and sealed the suit's vents, going over to internal air supply. Priss forced herself not to panic as she sank into the three-meter deep water. The water pulled at her, carrying her down stream a few meters, but not very far.

As she reached bottom, Priss wondered what she was going do. The flight units were mostly useless underwater. She could try them, but they might not work. She'd wait until she had no other options. With the air in the suit, and the air scrubbers, she had almost twenty minutes of air. No danger there. Swimming was out of the question, not with what the suit weighed.

She could wait for Sylia and Nene to show up, a perfectly good plan, but waiting to be rescued did not sit well with her. Her sensors were of limited use underwater, but they functioned well enough to give her a good picture of her situation.

Giving it some thought, she began to walk forward along the bottom of the river, fighting slightly to keep her balance with the current trying to push her forward. About ten meters from where she had fallen in the river got a little wider, and shallower. She had to bend down slightly with the ice scrapping the top of her helmet.

She put her usehand up against the ice, splaying her fingers, pushing against it to hold herself tight. She cocked her powerarm back, then slammed it up, punching a hole into the ice. She moved her usehand farther away from the hole then punched a second hole. She kept it up until she had cleared a space large enough for her to pull herself out of.

She slid on the ice once she got out; the water that covered her hardsuit would be ice soon enough. Pushing herself to her hands and knees first, she got to her feet, being careful not to fall. She shook herself, hoping to get as much of the water off as possible. Then she stumbled over to the bank where she waited for Nene and Sylia to show up.

* * *

"What do you think?" Sylia asked, her hand on Nene's shoulder to establish a direct transmission link.

"I'm screening out the weather interference, so that is costing a little, but there is nothing down there that looks important."

"Guards?"

"None. Couple of simple security cameras." Nene said nothing for a moment. "There might be something under the snow, boomers probably, but I can't be sure, not with passive scans."

"I see. Any idea where Knight-hakase might be?"

"There is some heat bleeding from the west-side of the main lodge. That is where I'd guess she is."

Sylia looked the compound over as best she could. Her suit's sensors were not quite the equals of Nene's, but they were good. There might be boomers under the snow, but if Nene could not be sure, neither could she. They would have to be powered down. It would take several seconds for the units to come fully on line.

"Let's go," Sylia said, pushing herself off the slope, down below the ridge. Nene came after her. Once they were below the ridge they climbed to their feet and continued down to where Priss and Linna were waiting.

"Nene and I will be going in for a closer look. I want to avoid confrontation, but we will be ready for it." She looked at Priss. "Move to the south side and get ready to move in quickly."

Priss nodded, then turned and began to move off.

Sylia looked over at Linna. "Move over to the chair-lift. Secure the area if necessary, then wait there."

"Right," Linna said then moved off.

"Nene, tell Mackie to have the Sky Carrier ready to go."

"Hai," Nene said as she deployed her sensor booms, looking up towards the sky. There was a satellite up there, not quite directly overhead, but close. After a few seconds she had it. She took a few seconds to make sure the link she was setting up was clean, then began to transmit, "Angel 1, this is three, over."

"Three, this is Angel 1, send, over," Mackie replied over the link.

"We're getting ready to move. One wants you to be ready in case we need you, over."

"I'll be listening. Everything here is set to go, over."

"Good. Three out." Nene cut the transmission then turned to look at Sylia. "He's ready."

Sylia nodded, the movement barely perceptible in her suit, then turned and began back up the hill. Nene followed.

* * *

Linna flipped over the cable of the chair-lift, landing in the deep snow near the motor-shed. She crouched low as she looked about, making sure she had not been spotted. The blizzard seemed to be blowing out, but there was still a lot of snow in the air. It both helped and hindered her.

It looked clear. No sign she had been seen, no boomers screaming in at her. She moved off, pushing through the knee-deep snow towards the shed. It was a single story building, mostly metal construction, the cable from the lift passing into the shed near the roof.

She moved up close, moving towards the door. She noted that there was less snow in front of the door than that around the rest of the shed. She circled back around until she was standing under the cables. She reached up and grasped the cable then pulled herself up until she could see through the cable opening.

It took her a moment to spot the boomer in the darkness of the she motor-shed. It was a construction model, and it looked to be powered down. Linna considered her options. It would be extremely easy to destroy the boomer, but she was not sure if that would go undetected. If she had Nene's sensors, and her skill, she might be able to determine if the boomer was emitting some kind of signal.

She dropped down into the snow and began to move to an area of cover. A construction boomer was not really much of a threat. She could deal with it later if she had to. As things were she felt she had the area secured, as Sylia had ordered.

* * *

Priss stood close to several boulders, part of the avalanche that had closed the ski slope. She waited there for several seconds, getting a feel for the area. Making sure that that everything was clear. Satisfied that there was no threat, she slid between the boulders, moving into an open area between her and the ski lodge.

She wanted to get a little closer, in case anything happened. There was not a lot of cover. She looked down at the snow she stood in and smiled slightly. Actually, there was a lot of cover.

She knelt down into the snow, then let herself fall forward into the snow. She used her hands to pull herself deeper into the snow, then her legs to push. The smooth form of the hardsuit easily slid into and under the snow. She gave another push with her legs and was completely under the snow.

After pulling herself a little deeper, crunching through the hard packed snow, she began to move off, trusting the suits inertial locator and compass to keep her on course. Above her the snow was disturbed as she moved under it, but the falling snow quickly covered the signs of her presence.

* * *

Sylia moved out front, Nene close behind her, scanning the area. They were moving along a path of beaten down snow. While the path was covered in fresh snow, the snow under it was packed down hard. Sylia guessed that the boomers had made the path, walking back and forth between the various buildings.

Closer, they had confirmed Nene's earlier suspicion about the buried boomers. Powered down as they were, the boomers were not a threat, but the two women avoided getting too close to any of them. Sylia had assumed they could be activated by a central signal, but was not about to take a chance that they might not come up if someone got too close.

Ahead of them was the main lodge where the heat was bleeding from. It might be a trap, but Sylia did not think so. There was no where else where Knight-hakase might have set up, at least not comfortably. It was also the only building that was currently drawing electric power.

Still, it never hurt to be careful. She stopped and looked back at Nene. Nene moved up until she was beside Sylia, turning her scanners towards the building. She started out with a passive scan. She switched to active scans, an ultrasound pulse, kept in a very narrow beam and a laser microphone, using the curtained window as a sounding plate.

Both she and Sylia were tense, worried that the active scan might set off some sort of alarm. Nothing happened though. "I'm getting some noise," Nene said softly. "Sounds like music and someone moving about. The ultrasound suggests one person."

"All right, let's move closer." Sylia stepped forward, moving in front of Nene as she pushed through the snow.

A short time later the two hardsuited women stood under the window in a pool of light that radiated through the curtain. "Do it," Sylia said to Nene.

Nene deployed her lasers and drilled a hole into the wall, careful not to burn completely through. From her suit a small, fibre-optic cable slid free. Nene threaded it into the hole, waited a moment, then pushed it completely through with a little bit of pressure.

* * *

Sharon yawned and stretched at her desk. She rubbed at her eyes. Staring at her little bots through the dissection microscope was causing a great deal of eyestrain. She reached over and turned the volume up on her small radio then tapped the tuning button in an attempt to get the signal a little clearer. The mountains played havoc with radio reception.

She turned her attention away from the radio and picked up a notepad. She jotted down a few notes and then began sketching out a new layout for her bots. With a little reorganisation she might be able to put a larger battery into her little creation. If so it might go a long way to alleviating some of the problems she was having.

A few more days to finish off her work and then she could leave with a near finished product in hand. With that she was certain she could get additional funding to prefect her work, and more than enough chances to perform tests.

* * *

"She's in there," Nene said softly, and there are two boomers in the room as well. One looks powered down, but I think the other is ready to go."

"What type?"

"Both are C-Class."

Sylia considered that. If she could get in, snatch Dr. Knight, and get her out fast enough, and if Mackie were near enough, the entire place could be raised and they could clear out before any serious fighting started.

"Call Mackie, tell him to get into the air."

"Hai," Nene said, pulling her fibre-optic cable free then began to move away from the building. She did not want to be too close to a boomer when she linked up with the satellite. While she was fairly certain the laser link would go unnoticed, it never hurt to be careful.

* * *

Sharon shivered slightly, her toes curling up against a small breath of cold. She was in her bare feet and the tiny thread of cool wind, blowing across the floor, was noticed. Of course she was used to the drafts, they seemed to be, as far as she could tell, a natural part of Japanese architecture, at least in older buildings.

She might have ignored it had it not been for the fact she was looking for a reason to take a break. Finding where the draft was coming from and perhaps pushing a box in front of it would waste some time. Maybe once she had done that she'd go and get herself a cup off coffee.

She got to her feet and looked around.

Her activity was not missed by the C-Class boomer standing nearby. The older boomer had been in Sharon's service for quite some time and it had come to feel very protective towards its owner. It did not know what its master was looking for-not being able to feel the slight breeze-but it was obvious that she was looking for something.

Wanting to know what its master was so interested in the boomer brought ups its sensor systems, going fully active, just in case there was something it should be aware of.

A moment later Sharon was taken by surprise as her boomer moved forward, grasping her shoulder, thrusting her back. She watched as the boomer's mouth cannon slid out from between its jaws. It was obvious that something was up.

* * *

Nene had made the contact with Mackie and was beginning to relay Sylia's request when her suit's sensors shrilled in alarm. Something had just gone into active scanning mode, no doubt tagging her. That thought was confirmed a moment later when Nene realised that she was being targeted.

"We've been spotted," Nene transmitted even as she was diving for cover.

A blast of energy tore through the window, ripping into the snow-covered ground where Nene had just stood.

With the element of surprise lost Nene brought up her suits ECM gear, jamming on all frequencies.

* * *

Sylia was taken by surprise by the attack. She had not expected it. Still, she was moving fast, spinning about, bringing her power arms up, the cannons ready. The boomer that came crashing through the window and wall almost surprised her, but she was able to spin to the side, and then around, rapidly firing at the boomer all the time.

The boomer exploded, the force of the blast driving Sylia back against the lodge wall. She felt the wood give under her, but she did not break through. While she was a little shaken, neither she nor the suit had taken any real damage.

At that moment the second boomer punched its hands through the wall and grabbed Sylia about her shoulders.

Sylia reacted instantly, the blades sliding from her suit's powerarms. She lifted her arms and then drove the blades into the wall to either side of her head and into the boomer holding her. One of the boomer's arms released her. She broke free of the remaining one, turned, and drove the blade on her right arm into the wall, sinking it deep into the boomer's chest.

The boomer reeled back for a moment, but then its back thrusters deployed, the blast of superheated air straightening it before it rocketed forward, through the wall, over Sylia's head.

* * *

Sharon watched, not quite believing it as the first boomer was taken out by the figure outside her room. In the light from the blast of the boomer's exploding fuel she got a good look at the intruder. She was almost certain it was one of the Knight Sabers. What would the Knight Sabers be doing so far outside of MegaTokyo?

She decided that such a question would be for later, at that moment she needed to get away. Her second boomer was already stumbling forward towards the Knight Saber when Sharon turned and ran towards the door. As she exited the room she reached out and flicked a switch mounted on the wall with electrical tape.

On the roof of the lodge a para-flare was launched into the sky, climbing high, the powerful flare igniting, bathing the area below it in stark, white light. While Sharon would have normally had gone for a radio signal to activate her boomers, she had learned a trick or two during her time with Terence.

She ran towards the other side of the building, her arm shielding her eyes from the glare that was even then shining through the windows.

* * *

Once Priss had reached the place where she had chosen, she popped one of her helmet booms up through the snow. While the boom on her helmet did not have all the options as the one on Nene's, it did have a variable light camera in it. With that up, like a submarine's periscope, she was able to watch the area without revealing her position.

She saw Sylia and Nene move towards the building, closing on it. She watched, unconcerned, until Nene was fired on. Even as the blast from the cannon was lighting the area up, even as Nene was calling out her warning, Priss was raising to her knees, breaking through the thin crust of snow.

She watched as one boomer exploded and then as Sylia started to deal with the second. When it flew from the building Priss had her powerarm up and opened up the airborne boomer. Three spikes, each travelling at several times the speed of sound ripped through the boomer.

And when it exploded Priss thought the sun had just appeared in their midst.

It took her a moment to realise the extremely bright flash of light-so intense it made her the sensors in her suit bring up light filters, so sudden some of the light got past the compensation and Priss had spots dancing in front of her eyes-was not caused by the explosion of the boomer but from a flare climbing into the sky above her.

Not far from where she was kneeling in the snow a form began to push itself up. Priss looked at the boomer that had hidden as she had done and swung her powerarm about.

* * *

Linna moved quickly when Nene's warning came over her com system. She opened fire on the motor shed, aiming at where she had seen the boomer. The explosion that ripped out part of the wall told her that she had hit.

She was canning the area, trying to decide where she might be of the most use when the flare went up.

Like Priss her suit's filters cut in to prevent her from being blinded by the sudden glare, but some still got through. She blinked her eyes to clear them as she rapidly scanned the area around her.

The boomer that surged out of the snow near to her left did not surprise her, but it came at her fast. Too fast for her to bring her powerarm around to fire on it.

She dropped into a crouch, neatly avoiding a punch and putting her in prime position to sweep its legs, which she did.

The boomer fell back into the snow, lading on its back. Even as it was trying to get up Linna spun about, letting her laser ribbons slash across its body, cutting deep into its chest. And when it did get to its feet it moved right into Linna's extended knuckle bomber. The blast tore it in half, touching off its fuel.

Linna lifted her powerarm in front of her and let the blast wash over her. The snow around her was melted, but neither she nor her suit took any appreciable damage. Linna turned and looked towards where Nene and Sylia were and began to make her way towards them.

* * *

Mackie had the Sky Carriers fans up to full output within seconds of Nene's call. The stealth aircraft lifted into the sky, climbing up into the blinding snow. The snow was not a concern now. Since they no longer had to be quiet, he powered up the Sky Carrier's sensors and the ECM gear.

As he flew towards the lodge he noted a strange glow in the sky. Almost as if the sun was raising, but dawn was still several hours away. It must be some sort of flare, he decided. A signal of some sort. Well, he would find out what it was about soon.

* * *

Priss and Linna moved towards where Sylia and Nene were waiting. They were going to have to take stock of the situation first, though none of them were particularly worried. They were up against older C-Class models, and ones that were not operating at peak efficiency. Even Nene, who had not actually fought one, could tell that.

Sylia was considering let Priss and Linna perform mop up, while she and Nene went after Dr. Knight.

Their assessment combat situation changed very suddenly.

Nene was the first to pick up on it when a she found herself being jammed and something was cutting right through her own jamming. Before she could call out a warning the Bu-12B pushed up from under a snow drift, the 12.7mm machine gun in its right arm weapon-pod spinning out a hail of projectiles.

Sylia, Nene and Linna leapt clear on their thruster wash, moving quickly into cover. Priss, who stood her ground, swinging her powerarm around, took a burst of machine gun fire. While her armour was not cracked by the attack, it did knock her back. Some of the force transferred through the protective padding, making Priss feel as if someone had kicked her in the ribs. The suit also suffered some minor damage.

Priss did manage to get off a shot of her own, shattering part of the left optic cluster.

Nene, who had settled behind the lodge, was working to counteract the boomers jamming field, and well as its ECM. She had to admit that her opponent was pretty good, for a boomer, but she was better. A few seconds and she was jamming all the boomers again, and had her own sensors clear. The boomers still had communication, which was going to be a problem.

Linna landed on the roof of the lodge, looking down at the boomer below her. The flare had reached its apex of flight by that time and was beginning to float down on a parachute. It was casting its light over quite a wide area, though it made what shadow there was pockets of impenetrable darkness.

Fortunately the boomer was standing out in the open.

Linna opened up on it with her powerarm finger lasers. She got several sold hits on it, punching holes into the right fuel tank. While there was no explosion, it did start leaking reaction mass.

The boomer turned on her and fired the 46mm rail cannon. Linna leapt clear before the section of roof she had been on exploded.

Sylia had come down in one of the shadowy pockets and was watching the battle. She was not really worried about the combat boomer, certain that they could deal with it, especially with Mackie on the way, but she suspected that the boomer was not going to be alone for long.

"Three, status," Sylia sent, glad to note that their com systems were open.

"We're clear, but they've got an open line of communication. I'm trying to find it and jam it," Nene told her.

"Do so, out," Sylia said. She watched as one of the C-Class moved towards the 12B, falling into a guard position on its left flank. If the combat boomer could organise the rest of the boomers, they could become quite a threat. She wondered how Dr. Knight had managed to acquire a combat boomer.

Another C-Class and a construction boomer, carrying some sort of weapon, moved up to join the combat boomer. All of them were moving across the open space, towards the lodge. It would be a good place for them to set up.

Priss flipped over onto her feet, swinging her powerarm around, opening up on the boomers. The construction boomer went down first, and one of the C-Class lost its arm before they began to return fire.

Moving fast, and aided by Nene's jamming, Priss avoided the return fire. Linna, from her new position near what had once been a garage, opened fire on the boomers exposed back, forcing them to deal with two opponents.

Then the 12B managed to put a cannon round close enough to Priss to send her crashing into a snow bank and another boomer tore through the garage wall to confront Linna.

"Two, get clear, four, deal with that boomer, then fall back to help two. Three, cut their communications, now!"

"I'm trying!" Nene called back.

Sylia resisted the urge to tell her to try harder and waited.

Linna had just finished off her boomer, and Priss had moved to cover, when the Sky Carrier came flying in. Mackie opened up with the nose-mounted machine guns, but that was only something to keep the boomers busy. The centre, rear ramp had opened and three motoslaves leapt from the craft.

Mackie went into a steep climb to clear out of the area before any of the boomers could fire on him. Not that the boomers would have had much chance. The descending motoslaves, including Priss' Typhoon II, were opening up on the boomers, their heavy weapons forcing the 12B to fall back for the first time.

"I've jammed their coms," Nene shouted out triumphantly.

"Two, grab your motoslave and take out the 12B. Four, you and your motoslave will begin to secure the area. Three, you're with me. Let's try to make some sense of this. Angel 1, I want you in here. Destroy the lodge and then get clear. Move."

The Knight Sabers moved. Priss linked up with the Typhoon II and went after the B-12; the combat boomer really did not have much of a chance after that. Priss moved in fast while the Typhoon II provided cover fire. Once close enough, she cracked the armour on its left side with a rocket-assisted kick and the leg bombers. The Typhoon II used the opening to put three 35mm rounds into the boomer.

The B-12 staggered back, leaking various fluids. It tried to straighten but discovered its left leg was no longer responding. Before it could try to bypass the damage Priss was on it, slamming her knuckle bomber into the central sensor cluster, it's main eye. The superheated gasses ripped right through its upper body section, and through the remaining fuel tank.

The explosion, while not large, was enough to shut the boomer down permanently.

* * *

Linna and her motoslave dealt with the other boomers. A well placed knuckle bomber, a slash of ribbons, or a burst of cannon fire quickly removed the boomers from the field of battle.

* * *

Mackie turned the Sky Carrier sharply, sending it back towards the area of the fight. He took the missiles off safe, the green LED switching to red to indicate everything was ready to go.

He increased the speed, burning fuel off at a tremendous rate. "Coming in now," he transmitted. He waited until the weapon screen indicated a clean lock on the lodge. "Missiles away!" he called out.

The high explosive missiles streaked out of their housing-the Sky Carrier venting a large amount of heat at that moment-and sped towards the lodge. A moment later the building was blown apart like it was made of match sticks and someone had kicked it.

The Sky Carrier climbed sharply, riding the thermals of the explosion.

* * *

Linna ducked the boomer's punch, then let her leg slide on the hard packed snow, shifting behind the boomer. She activated the first stage trigger of her knuckle bomber, then slammed her powerarm forward, right into the boomers exposed back.

The explosion nearly cut the boomer in half. Linna finished the job by spinning about, bringing her laser ribbons into play. The boomer's top half slid from its legs to land in the snow. There was no explosion.

"This is four, target down. Anyone else need a hand."

"I could," Nene said, her voice holding a hint of panic.

Linna smiled slightly. "I'll be right there."

* * *

The already weakened wall shattered at Priss was hurled through it. With a quick thruster blast, a little bit of luck, she managed to land on her feet, and then remain on them. Not too far from her stood the hulking form of a heavy construction boomer.

Even considering the capabilities of combat boomers, the heavy construction boomer was incredibly strong and very durable. Someone had also affixed armour plates on to it, making it that much tougher. Several railgun spikes embedded in the armour plate attested to that.

All right, maybe it was strong and tough, but it was also incredibly stupid. Priss could use that.

She leapt at it, powerarm extended, waiting for it to reach out to grab her, as it had before. At the last moment Priss flipped up, over the grab, slapping one of her S-mines down onto the wrist of the boomer.

The S-mine went off, the shaped charge blowing the entire hand off. The boomer stared down at its truncated wrist, as if trying to understand what had just happened. Priss, who had landed behind the boomer, sprang at the boomer's back, and laid the last two S-mines on its shoulders before leaping away.

The boomer was just turning to face her when the charges went off, almost ripping the left arm off, and heavily damaging the actuators in the right shoulder unit.

Priss stood, her feet wide apart to give her a stable stance, powerarm extended. She locked on the boomer's head and fired. The right eye was destroyed by the spike.

A moment later the boomer was rocked by several rounds from the Typhoon II's hand cannon. Using the damage caused by Priss' mines, it was able to bypass the armour, putting the high velocity rounds directly into the boomers internal systems.

The motoslave was about to fire again when Priss held up her hand, motioning it to stop. The unit almost seemed reluctant as it checked its weapon.

The boomer took an unsteady step forward, rocking back and forth. Then another step, moving closer to Priss. Its body shifted, as if it was trying to reach out, but its arms would not move. It stopped, its head moving slowly back and forth as it surveyed the damage. Somehow the unchanging face of the large boomer seemed to radiate confusion.

Priss moved in, the knuckle guard sliding forward over her use hand. She slammed a punch forward, into its lower chest. The metal cracked, the crack began to widen. She stepped back, waiting to see what the boomer would do next.

The boomer took a step forward, but its foot stopped several centimetres above the snow. For a moment it did not move, then it began to fall back. The snow rose up around it as it crashed onto the ground.

"This is two, target down. What's up?"

"Everything clear here," Linna's voice came over the com.

"There is nothing on my scanners," Nene said.

"Stay sharp," Sylia ordered. "Angel 1, put down in the open area three hundred metres from the objective. Two, three and four, move to secure the area. We'll be leaving soon."

"Coming down," Mackie's voice came over the com system. A moment later they could all see lights of the Sky Carrier as it approached.

* * *

Sylia pushed the remains of a boomer out of her way as she made her way through the blasted shell of the ski lodge. Her suit's sensors were turned up, helping her in her search. The area suddenly went dark as the para flare finally burnt out, but the low light and IR visual enhancements came up automatically.

She found what she was looking for a short time later, once she had exited the remains of the ledge. Dr. Knight stood some distance away, barely illuminated by the light of some burning wood-remains of the lodge-near to where she stood.

As Sylia approached she could see that the woman was wearing only a pair of slacks and a sweater. She did not even have any shoes on; she stood there, in the snow, in her bare feet. The small woman looked up as Sylia approached, a look of confusion and fear on her face.

Sylia guessed she was a little shell-shocked.

The Muramasa blade slid forth from its housing in her left powerarm. Sharon's eyes widened as she saw that, but she did not move. Sylia looked at the woman standing in front of her, the woman who had threatened, still threatened to corrupt some part of her father's work. How much pain might she release on the world if she got the chance?

It would be so easy. All she had to do was flick out her arm. It would be quick and clean.

"Please," Sharon said after a moment. "Don't hurt me." He voice was soft, panicky, scared.

Sylia's blade lashed out. Sharon's eyes snapped shut, sure she was about to die and not wanting to face it. There was a stinging pain above her eyes, but that was it. She felt something warm begin to run down her face.

Sharon opened her eyes, then closed them as blood ran into them.

Sylia reached out and grasped the woman about the neck with her right power arm, pulling her close. "I suggest you do not pursue this work any further," Sylia said, her voice distorted by filters within her helmet. She placed the Muramasa blade up against Sharon's face. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Sharon said, keeping her eyes tightly shut.

Sylia pushed the woman away from her, watched as she fell back into the snow. The Muramasa blade snapped back into its housing as she turned sharply and walked back the way she had come.

Not that far away she found Priss. The woman in the blue hardsuit reached out and placed her hand on Sylia's suit, forming a private link. "If you leave her like this, she'll probably die." It was not an alarmed statement, or one that was accusing; it was simply a statement of fact.

"That is possible," Sylia said as she moved past Priss.

Priss released her hold on Sylia suit, letting her go by. She looked off in the direction where Sharon Knight lay in the snow. With her IR sensors she could see the heat from her body rising up into the air. She turned and followed after Sylia.

Before Sylia boarded the Sky Carrier she stopped to remove a downed boomers head and several other components.

Less than a minute later the Sky Carrier was climbing into the air, a cloud of snow billowing around it. It rose straight up for almost twenty metres, then spun on its central axis until its nose was pointing towards the wreckage of the lodge. The missile bays opened and a second later a number of missiles were launched.

When they hit, the wreckage began to burn. The fire would destroy everything, and perhaps provide enough heat for someone to survive until help arrived. Maybe.

The aircraft then began to move forward, banking sharply as it headed back towards MegaTokyo.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Priss asked, standing in the doorway of Sylia's workshop. The others had already left and Priss looked as if she planned to leave soon as well.

"The boomer is a standard Genom model, but it has been altered: the OMS link partially severed."

"Which means?"

"It's no longer connected to the OMS system. Normally that results in the AI chip burning itself out, but if you know what you are doing you can keep most of the chip functioning."

"Which is what you would do if you did not want Genom knowing what you were up to with their boomers?"

"Yes," Sylia nodded, looking at the open boomer skull in front of her.

"Lot of people can do that work?"

Sylia looked over at Priss. "Most people know nothing about the OMS system. There are maybe a handful who could do something like this." She looked back at the skull. "I thought they all worked for Genom."

"Well, I doubt Knight is going to be doing much more of that, one way or another."

"Yes," Sylia nodded. "At least we can be fairly certain that this was not a Genom operation."

Priss shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going home."

"Goodnight," Sylia said.

"Night."

* * *

**January 19th, Thursday, 7:45am**

Leon put his boot down on a piece of charred wood. It made a soft crunch as it became powder. There was a lot of fire damage around him. The snow had all been melted around what had used to be, so he had been told, a ski lodge.

"Leon-chan," he heard shouted behind him. He turned to see Daily standing some distance away. "Head's up." Daily lobbed a snowball in Leon's direction. It was easy enough for him to avoid, but that had been Daily's intention.

"Enjoying yourself?" Leon asked.

"We don't get much snow in Tokyo," he said, walking towards Leon. "So, got any ideas?"

"Looks like someone wanted to destroy something really bad," he told Daily.

Daily nodded. "Looks like they succeeded. Let's talk to Akamura-san."

Leon nodded and turned to walk after Daily.

Kaneko Akamura, an ADP lieutenant, forensics and boomer specialist, had come up to Miyagi with Leon and Daily. She was currently squatting near one of the more interesting finds, a Bu-12B light combat boomer. The lieutenant was a very attractive young woman with brown hair and light brown eyes. The tan coat she wore, with the fur trim, made her blend in with the snow somewhat.

It had become something of a truism among the ADP that Lieutenant Akamura would always be well turned out. She was their fashion goddess.

"Kaneko-chan, what have you got?" Leon asked, crunching through the snow towards her.

"A little frost bite, and a lot of questions," she replied, looking back over her shoulder to smile at Leon.

"You look warm enough," Leon told her, dropping down beside her.

"Real fur?" Daily asked, looking at the soft yellow, fluffy fur that trimmed her coat.

"Synthetic."

Daily nodded as he moved to stand over the boomer.

"Now that the fashion lesson is out of the way, what happened?" Leon asked.

"That I'm not exactly sure of, but I think I can tell you at least one of the parties involved in this."

"Who?"

"I pulled this out of this guy's optics," she said, holding up a plastic evidence bag. Inside was a spike. "Recognise this?"

"The Knight Sabers," Leon said.

Kaneko nodded. "I've found other damage that is consistent with that theory. I wonder that they were doing up here?"

"Good question," Leon said. "Any idea about who owns this place?" Leon looked up at Daily.

"Small construction company, bought it two years ago. No connection to Genom that I could find. Doubt there is any."

"You'll trace all the serial numbers?" Leon looked over at Kaneko.

"I've already sent some in. We'll probably start getting feedback in a few hours, if not sooner."

Leon got to his feet. "Once we've taken a look at all the boomers we can go. We'll let the local cops handle the rest of it."

"I'll be done in another twenty minutes or so," Kaneko told him.

"We might as well go and talk to the local people," Daily said. "Be all political and stuff."

"Might as well."

* * *

Nene scribbled a note on a piece of paper to remind her that Linna wanted to meet for a celebration dinner that evening. A day late to celebrate her success, but that hardly mattered. It was exciting, Linna now part of a professional dance company. She might go anywhere soon. She might become very famous. Nene thought of how neat it would be to have a famous friend.

She folded the paper and slid it into the breast pocket of her blouse. That done she turned her attention to her work, trying to get caught up. She had spent most of the morning cat napping because of the late night. That, combined with the day she had taken off earlier, had left her with a heavy workload.

The workload had become a little heavier with the events in Miyagi. Lieutenant Akamura had sent in a bunch of boomer serial numbers and she wanted a history on those units as soon as possible. Nene had been volunteered for that.

Not too surprisingly most of the units had been traced back to MRAStech, bought for and by one of their researchers. Doctor Sharon Knight. Nene would let Leon and the others worry about getting in touch with Germany and hunting down clues there.

"Hey, Romanova-kun," Kaoru Wada, a PR lieutenant called to her. "I'm not a mail boy, got it?" His tone was a little cross.

Nene looked away from her work as soon as he called. He was waving an envelope in his hand.

"Pardon Wada-san?"

"This was delivered by courier." He presented her with a letter. "I was volunteered to bring it up to you." He smiled and Nene realised he had been joking earlier.

"Thank you Wada-san," Nene said, taking the envelope, deciding that he was also kind of cute.

"Don't mention it." He smiled at her then turned and left.

The envelope was marked with the logo of a courier company, her name and the address of the AD Police building and a bar code. She turned it over, wondering if there was a return address and found a small piece of paper tapped to the back.

Pulling it free and unfolding it Nene discovered it was a note from Kaoru, with his phone extension on it. Nene smiled as she placed it off to the side. She wondered if he had volunteered himself to come up to see her. She wondered if she should call him.

Naoko, having just witnessed everything and wanting to take a break for her work got up and walked over to Nene's desk.

Turning her attention back to the envelope she undid the flap and dumped the contents out on her desk. Several brochures from various universities and a guide to the entrance exam times spilled out across the desktop. The entire thing had her mother's handwriting all over it. While the results of the central exam had not come yet, both she and her mother knew she had done well.

"Are you thinking of going to University?" Naoko asked, picking up one of the brochures.

Nene looked up at her, a little surprised. She had not noticed her come over. "Well, not really," Nene lied.

"Wait," Naoko looked deep in thought. "You weren't here on the sixteenth were you? You were writing the central exam."

Nene sighed. "Yes. I'm thinking of going to university."

"Why?"

"Because I want to," Nene said, kind of a lie. She was not about to admit that while she wanted to, her mother had bullied her into it.

"You're going to quit the ADP?"

"I guess," Nene said. She had not given that too much thought really. Now that Naoko was asking the question, it made that part seem all the more real.

"Aren't you happy here? I mean, what about all your friends?"

"My friends will still be my friends," Nene told her. "And just because I am thinking doesn't mean I'll do it, or even that I'll pass the entrance exams," she lied once more.

"Why didn't you tell me you were thinking about this?"

"It's fairly recent. Can we keep this between ourselves?" Nene asked as she put the brochures and the guide back into the envelope.

"We'll have to tell everyone if you actually get accepted. There'll have to be a party after all."

"Fine. Once I've made it into a university we can tell everyone. Until then, I just don't want anyone to know."

"Nene-chan and her secrets," Naoko shook her head and smiled.

"You know how some of the people are. Always looking for an excuse for a joke. I don't need text books left on my desk and stuff like that."

"Or a seifuku in your locker."

"Definitely not that."

"Okay, but when you know, you tell, and accept all jokes with dignity."

"Why?"

"Because I'll put the seifuku in your locker."

"Pervert," Nene said playfully.

"But it will be cute."

"Idiot," Nene shook her head, smiling.

Naoko laughed then looked across the room. "Yabai(oh no), Sergeant Harrison is giving me one of those stares. I better get back to work. How about lunch?"

"Sure." Nene told her, a little disappointed she would not be able to give Kaoru a call suggesting lunch.

"See you then." Naoko returned to her own desk and her work.

Nene continued with her tasks but only gave the job the bare amount of attention it required. The rest of her mind was considering her future. She was going to have to decide which entrance exams to write soon, and then there was the question about what she ultimately wanted to do. Too many questions. She almost did not feel up to answering them.

* * *

**12:03pm, Korea, Pusan**

Sharon blinked her eyes as she stepped out of the main cabin and into the bright sun. She fished her sunglasses from her jacket pocket, put them on, and then continued along towards the gangplank.

While she would be the first to admit that security had not been her strong point, as the previous night's events proved, she had paid attention to some of what Terrence has said. Making sure she had an escape route was one of those things she had taken to heart.

A single C-Class and a copy of all her work had been the things she had kept hidden some distance from the ski lodge. After the Knight Sabers had left, so had she. An early morning helicopter trip, expensive, but worth it, had put her in Fukoka just in time to catch the high-speed ferry between Japan and Korea.

She knew she would be able to find someone in Korea, or China, or just in the whole area, who would be willing to support her work. She just needed a new lab and a few weeks to make up the work lost in the destruction of the ski lodge. Easy as breathing.

It did not take her long to clear customs and soon she was walking out of the ferry terminal, into Pusan. Within the hour she was in her hotel room-under a false name-for some much deserved rest.

She pulled the curtains closed and then stripped down to her panties; glad to be out of the clothes she had been wearing for more than twenty-four hours. While she would have liked to take a long shower, she wanted to sleep more. She would go to the bathroom first, and then sleep.

She had just entered the bathroom when the door to her room, which she had locked and bolted, swung open. She turned to look at the door and the woman who had entered. Tall, with a sort of elegance about her, she did not look like a robber.

"Knight-hakase," D said, closing the door behind her. "I'm so glad I caught up with you." She dropped the bag she was carrying.

Sharon was opening her mouth to scream but the other woman moved so fast, impossibly fast, and put her gloved hand over Sharon's mouth, stifling the scream.

D forced the woman back, pushing her so she ended up sitting on the toilet-she tore the 'Sanitised for Your Protection' strip off first. Still holding the woman with the finger lock on her jaw, D pulled her panties down to her knees, just to make things look proper.

"I'm sorry Knight-hakase, but I'm sure you understand," D said as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, auto-injector.

Sharon tried to struggle, but the woman-no, she had to be a boomer-was too strong. She was being held as if she were a child and nothing she could do seemed to have any effect. It was terrifying her. The sound of urine splashing in the water and on the porcelain was heard over the sound of Sharon's struggles.

D, as carefully as possible, forced the woman to open her mouth. She knew there was going to be some bruising around the jaw, but she hoped that it would not be considered important. Once she had Sharon's mouth open she lifted the auto-injector to her teeth and pulled the cap off. The needle clear, she reversed the injector and slid the needle into Sharon's mouth, under her tongue. It was less likely to be noticed there.

With a gentle squeeze, the entire contents of the injector were pumped into Sharon. D continued to hold her for a minute more before the woman went limp. Her eyes were open, as was her mouth. A small trail of saliva ran down her chin.

"That's better," D said, looking at the woman. "The drug will make your last moments comfortable."

Sharon wanted to say something, but it was as if all the strength had drained from her body. She blinked, slowly, trying to get her eyes to properly focus.

D looked down at the woman as she removed several items from within her jacket. Everything ready, she went to work. First she made sure Sharon's fingerprints were on everything. Best to be sure of the little things. That done she began to cook the heroin over an electric burner.

D looked over at the woman, wondering if there was recognition in her eyes. Did she know what was about to happen? Perhaps. It hardly mattered. She tied the surgical tubing around Sharon's upper, left arm and then prepared the syringe.

Heroin was such a tricky thing, D thought as she filled the syringe body. Get some a little purer than one was used to, and it was so easy to overdose. Or if it was cut with the wrong things. The heroin she had brought with her was three times more pure than what was currently being sold on the streets, and had too much quinine in it. She flicked the syringe to get the few bubbles to the top, the squeezed the plunger, gently, venting all the air, and a small stream of the heroin.

Reaching down she grasped Sharon's right arm, pulling it up and placing the syringe into her hand. Carefully she guided the woman's hand, sliding the needle into the distended vein and the pumping the contents into her arm.

She left the needle in as she stepped back. Death would come too fast for the victim to remove the needle.

D watched, with a sort of professional detachment, as Sharon Knight died. It happened, as she had expected, very fast. Her eyes rolled back into her head, she jerked once, and that was it. She was dead.

D left the bathroom, picking up the bag she had dropped earlier. She walked over to the bed, placed her bag down, and then removed several pieces of scanning equipment. She was not going to miss anything when she swept the room. She did have time after all, it would be at least a day before anyone came to check on Sharon. D expected to be there for no more than an hour.

* * *

Domino ran across the helipad, keeping her head down. When she reached the helicopter one of the crew reached out and pulled her in. The door was closed behind her and the aircraft lifted off.

"He'll see you now," the man who had pulled her into the craft said.

Domino nodded and let herself be directed towards the door. The aircraft was huge, similar to the ones the SDF used for transporting their combat suits. There was more than enough room for the several offices that were on board the craft.

The door was open and Domino stepped through. Quincy sat behind a desk, smaller than the one in the Tower, staring at her. She bowed deeply. "Sumimasen."

"Sit," he said.

Domino crossed the deck and sat down.

"Your work with Persies is adequate. Tell me of Aphros Industries."

"Harmless. They are being used."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Yes," Domino told him.

"Who is using them?"

"I am not sure yet," she admitted.

"When will you be sure?" he asked her, his neutral tone holding so much subtle warning.

"I do not wish to be specific until I know for sure. I have people working on it."

Quincy nodded. "What about Knight-hakase and her work?"

"It has been dealt with."

"How certain of that are you?"

"Anything she left at the office building would have been destroyed by the explosives she set off. The ski lodge was completely destroyed. We have recovered anything she took with her to Korea. I am as certain as I can be."

"As one of the few people who know about this, I'll expect you to watch for any signs that Knight-hakase's work has spread."

"I understand," Domino said.

"Good."

"Shachou-san, may I make a suggestion?"

Quincy looked at her then nodded.

"I think we should continue with Knight-hakase's work. There are a number of ways that it could be used which might be very useful."

Quincy stared at her for a time, not saying anything. Domino began to feel nervous, wondering if she had just made a mistake. "Do you know what the greatest threat to Genom is, Odotte-kun?" he finally asked.

Domino was confused by the question and was not sure how to answer it. "The government and its various agencies..."

"No," Quincy told her, cutting her off. "We own the government on several levels, and even those politicians we do not control know better than to make any attempts on us. We are too important to the economy; we have forced ourselves into that advantageous position in several countries.

"Nor are the press agencies a problem, we can buy those overtly unlike the politicians. We need not fear individuals or mercenaries, no matter how large or small their numbers are.

"The only thing that can truly threaten Genom," He paused, "is the population of the city we are flying over, the ordinary people of the world."

"Sir?" Domino was a little confused. She did not like what she was feeling. There was something of disappointment in Quincy's words, and for some reason that bothered her. It bothered her a lot.

"If they storm our doors we are destroyed. Yes, we can battle them and win, with the many layered defence of the Tower they would not stand a chance. The same is true for all our towers. And in so doing we have sealed our fate.

"Our power is based on them; they design, make, and buy our products. Without them we are nothing. Do you understand?"

"Sir..." Domino trailed off, shaking her head. Quincy had thrown her off stride, was taking the argument into areas she had never considered. For the first time in her short life she felt completely bewildered.

"They are lazy Odotte-kun." He sighed, looking a little disappointed. Domino did not know why, but that displeasure bothered her more than she thought it should. "Corporations have proved time and time again that they can do almost anything and the people will forget, go on with their lives. If it is no longer on the news it might as well have never happened.

"Dow poisoned an entire community, Exxon polluted a pristine environment, we have tested combat boomers in this very city. The populace has let us; we throw a little money at the problem and people forget.

"I want them to remain lazy and complacent. I do not want to give them a reason to turn their anger on us for any great length of time. Knight-hakase's work would scare them, and rightfully so. It hits too closely to thoughts of mind control. People would not sit still for that. They would get angry, truly angry because they would be truly afraid. I do not like it when people become afraid. Fear is a very dangerous emotion."

He looked at Domino for several seconds. "Do you understand now, Odotte-kun?"

Domino took a deep breath, not aware she had been holding it. "Hai, wakarimasu(I understand)."

"You are dismissed."

"Hai." She stood and stepped away from the chair. Bowing deeply, she took a step back, then straightened. Turning, she walked towards the door.

"Remember what I have told you Odotte-kun," Quincy said as she began to open the door.

She turned. "I will," she told him, bowing again before leaving his office.

"We will be landing at the airport in five minutes," the man who had helped her aboard said once she had closed the door. "You will leave then."

Domino nodded and moved towards one of the seats. She was in a very dangerous game, but she had cleared the first obstacle. She had Quincy's trust, or at least as much as he was willing to give.

* * *

"How likely is it that the coroners discover it was a murder?" Domino asked D.

"It would depend how thorough they are. A foreigner, found dead in her hotel room, no money missing, obvious drug overdose, I don't think that they will look too close."

"No, I suppose they just want to see a drug overdose; it will make them feel superior."

"That is what I thought."

"Good," Domino said. She picked up the MMSD from her desk, turning it over in her hands. "This is the only one?" she asked, holding up the disk.

D nodded. "The last file entry on that disk was made at 6:23pm, January 18th."

Domino took a disk case from her desk and then slid the MSSD in. She closed it, locking it.

"What are you going to do with it?" D asked, a little curious.

"I'll send it to Shachou-sama. He'll do what he wishes with it."

"Does this mean your position here is secure?"

"As secure as it can be. Now I just have to worry about my peers trying to get rid of competition, and my subordinates trying to take my position."

"Business as usual."

Domino smiled slightly. "Yes. Business as usual."

A soft chime came from the lady's Rolex that Domino wore. Domino looked down at it. "Time for business. D, move over there," she said, indicating a chair off to the side.

As D moved to where Domino indicated a set of liquid-crystal screens on the walls flickered on. The screens showed three men. Doctor Richard Mastason, head of MRAStech; Paul Hendle, European investment specialist; and Amy Saunders, a dilettante with a trust fund that was too large for her own good.

"Mr. Mastason, Mr. Hendle, Miss Saunders, I'm glad you were willing to speak with me."

"My pleasure," Paul said, smiling broadly.

"What is this about Miss Odotte," Amy said sharply. She was an attractive woman, though beginning to show her age. The jealous type, Domino knew that from her file.

Richard was silent, he was just waiting, watching. Domino took note of that as she looked over her security board. Paul had a tap on his line. Sloppy of him Domino thought as she sent a burst of static down the line to confuse the tap before switching the line.

"I wish to purchase your shares in MRAStech," Domino said, brining it out into the open. "I'll offer you twice their current market value."

"So, Genom wants to take over MRAStech," Amy said. She was smiling like someone who thought they had all the cards.

"If news gets out about this the value of the stocks is likely to jump to more than twice their value." Paul smiled broadly as he looked at his camera.

"And they could drop suddenly, if Genom were to start selling off their shares of MRAStech," Domino paused. "Or for other reasons." She gave them a moment to think about that, but then started again before they could say anything. "I will trade you your stock in MRAStech on a one for one basis with shares of Gendyne Bionetics. While the shares are not quite the value of those of MRAStech, I'm sure that will change soon. Think about it Mr. Hendle, Miss Saunders." Domino cut her feed to both of them. The lines were still open, but she was no longer transmitting to them.

"Dr. Mastason," Domino said, turning to look at him.

"I am not interested," he told her.

"But they are, and you cannot match anything I can offer them. They will take my offer. They are both greedy."

"That will only give you fifteen percent of my company's stock. That will not be enough for you to take over."

Domino smiled. "As of this morning Genom took over Donaldson Incorporated. Donaldson owned a company called Kinkade Resources. Kinkade Resources was in fact a holding company for a number of interesting things, including a small firm that held eight percent of your Company's stock. As soon as Mr. Hendle and Miss Saunders sell Genom their shares we will control twenty three percent of MRAStech."

Richard looked uncomfortable, and perhaps a little angry. "I will ensure that you have a fight on your hands."

"You may try that Dr. Mastason, and you will fail, but I do have another suggestion. You will sell Genom two of the six percent of MRAStech you own, for twice the current market value. You will remain in charge of MRAStech, and with Genom support you should be able to get a number of stalled projects running, and keep better control over people like Dr. Knight, and their work."

Richard's eyes opened wide at that. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Stingray-sensei would not have wanted his work abused by a woman like her Dr. Mastason. You either work for Genom, to the benefit of both companies, or you will no longer have any say in the running of your company. I'll give you a few minutes to think about it." Domino cut her feed to him and re-connected to both Paul and Amy. "I'm sure you've had time to think about this, and you have been talking to each other. What is your answer."

The two stared at Domino, saying nothing for a moment, then Amy said, "We agree to your offer, but we also want two million, Canadian, each, to sweeten the offer as it were."

Domino smiled. "One million, each, and that is my final offer. Genom will not play games like this. We are deadly," she stressed 'deadly' ever so slightly, "serious. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

"We have a deal," Paul said.

"Good," Domino said happily. "My people will be by your respective offices within the hour with the contracts. As this is a simple stock transfer I don't expect it to take long. Good day," she said, then hung up on both. She re-connected to Richard, smiling at him. "What will it be Dr. Mastason?"

"I want a guarantee, in writing, that I hold my position for as long as I want."

"That will not be a problem Doctor. We at Genom would prefer it if you stayed with the company for as long as you wish. Now, shall we hammer out all the details now?"

"Yes," Richard said, sounding a little mollified.

Domino nodded, still smiling. She was beginning to enjoy her work.

* * *

Priss sat on the edge of the stage, her legs hanging over. She flipped through the pages of the contract that Oshiro had brought her, going back to read an earlier subsection. Her head was beginning to hurt.

Oshiro and two other executive types with the look of lawyers had shown up near the end of her show. She had put them off long enough to take a shower and for the club to empty. She wanted as much privacy as she could get. A room full of well wishers, some drunk, would not have provided that.

"So, if I'm reading this right, you want me to cease to exist. That is what section C deals with correct?"

"Priss-san, this is not a big deal." Oshiro gave her that smile again. "It's just that Priss of the Replicants and of Hot Legs and of this dark, seedy music scene is just a bit too high profile as being anti-Genom."

"I thought you said people like it when celebs bite the hands that feed them?"

"They do but if an openly Genom controlled company-and most of the music giants are to one extent or another-gives 'the' Priss a contract then they come off looking a little stupid. It's much better if they start biting the hand after they have been signed."

"I don't like this," She told him.

"Son of a bitch," he cursed, "it's not like I'm asking you to go Idol or anything stupid like that. Play the same music, go by Prisila Asagiri-or anything that's not Priss-and dump the blonde wig. That's it. It's not like we are asking too much is it?" He smiled again.

Priss looked at the papers in her hands. It was a good contract, three records-though Sony had the option to cancel after the first-generous touring expenses, everything she could want.

She could also understand Genom's desire not to have 'the' Priss as one of their new finds, even if they were doing it through Sony. Did it really matter? she wondered. She could give in on that one thing.

Of course it might make it easier for her to give in on other things.

She was strong enough to deal with that, wasn't she? She thought back to the night with Nene's mother, what they had said. She had gone through a lot of pain to get where she was, but somehow she had always managed to stay true to herself, no matter that it often meant taking the harder road.

She looked at Okita, then folded the contract in half, then in half again, pressing the crease down sharp. "Not interested," she told him, handing him back the contract.

"What do you mean you are not interested?"

"I'm not interested. Change it or I won't sign."

"Listen to me, Asagiri-san," he said, his voice suddenly getting very hard. "You are a no one. I can find a hundred singers just like you without working at it. I chose you because I liked your style. I thought you were intelligent. We will not be rewriting this contract," he unfolded it and thrust it back at her. "Now sign or I will ensure that you never work again, do you understand me?"

Priss stared at him for a few seconds, then reached out and took the contract. She flipped to the rear page, then tore it free. Oshiro stared angrily at her. Priss looked up at him, then dropped the rest of the contract. Placing the last page on the stage, she began to fold it. A short time later she had an origami crane.

"I wish I could do a dog," Priss said calmly, holding the crane out towards Oshiro. "Then I could tell you to fuck it!" she snapped, flipping the swan into his face.

"You stupid..."

Priss reached out and grabbed his tie, pulling him close. "Tell Genom if they want to exploit me they'll have to choke down their pride first." She pushed him away.

Oshiro was livid, he seemed unable to talk, just making grunts and such in his attempt to speak. He closed his eyes, going still for a moment.

"You'll regret that," he told her.

"Maybe." Priss shrugged her shoulders.

He turned, taking his two associates with him.

"Well thanks for that," Yuuko said, coming out onto the stage.

"The Replicants weren't included in the deal, in fact they did not want anything that would link me to the "Old Priss" as they put it."

"Well that sucks," Yuuko told her.

"Tell me about it."

"So now what?" Yuuko asked.

"How about a celebratory drink Priss-chan?" Leon stepped out from the shadows of one of the booths.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Priss demanded.

"Watching you. I come to most of your concerts, you know that. I noticed those Genom types and waited to see what was happening. Professional curiosity. So how about that drink?" He walked towards her, holding up a bottle of Suntory Premium and some shot glasses.

"And what the hell are we supposed to drink to?"

"Your continuing engagement at Hot Legs. Whenever you finally get a contract, I'll never get a chance to see you perform as often as I do now," he said as he put the glasses on the stage and began to fill them.

"Well, I'll drink to that." Yuuko picked up one of the glasses.

"Don't get any ideas Leon." Priss picked up a glass.

"A guy can dream." He put the bottle aside to take up the third glass.

"To success in the future," Yuuko raised her glass.

"Works for me," Leon lifted his.

"It's okay to go nowhere, baby, just as long as you go nowhere fast." Priss and the others drank their shots.

"This stuff is horrible." Yuuko grimaced.

"Tasted better." Leon shook his head as he placed the shot glass back on the tray. "What do you say to drinks at a nicer place?"

"I'm game." Yuuko jumped off the stage and slid up close to Leon. "So Priss, who's your friend?"

"Leon, this is my bassist Nishizaki Yuuko. Yuuko, McNichol Leon. Captain in the AD Police."

"You must be Priss' obsessive fan." Yuuko smiled up at him.

"Well, obsessive might be a bit too strong."

"I wish I had a fan like you." She was obvious in her attentions and intentions.

Leon smiled at her, the attractive girl at his side tripping all the right switches.

Priss smiled as she watched the interplay between the two. It looked like Yuuko would be better at running interference than Linna had ever been.

"So where you taking us Leon-kun?" Priss pushed herself off the stage. "Better be good." She told him.

"I'm sure I can find some place." Leon offered his arm to Yuuko.

"So tell me about your job, it must be ever so exciting." Yuuko looked up at him, batting her eyelashes coquettishly at him.

Priss groaned as they set off towards the exit.


	7. Flash Powder 1

_I got three passports, a couple of visas  
you don't even know my real name.  
_-Talking Heads 'Life During Wartime' 

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 1 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1998;1999;2005)

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**February 1st, 100 km North of Timmins, Ontario, Canada**

It was a pleasant, soft chime. The sort of chime that seemed more suited to a clock made by Fabergé. Hamilton Davis found the chime to be at odds with the cell he was in.

The chime was a signal that he was supposed to sit in the chair in the middle of the room. He sat on the hard bunk, not moving.

"Mr. Davis," a voice, distorted by electronics, said. "Please sit."

Hamilton did not move for a time, being as defiant as he could be, but finally he got to his feet and walked to the chair. He stood by it for several seconds, staring at one of the cameras. Then he sat. He refused to make anything easy for them, but knew that if he pushed it too hard they would pump gas into the room to sedate him.

He heard the door open and then the click of heels on the concrete floor. She was walking towards him, she would stand just behind him. He had never seen her face. His relationship with her was with her voice and her scent. He had painted a picture of the woman in his mind, a romantic image. An image based on a dream girl he had developed in his adolescence. It embarrassed him a little when he thought about it.

"Mr. Davis," she said, in a soft soprano, "tell me who hired you."

He said nothing. He had done his best to remain silent through out all the interviews. Sometimes she could get something from him, but not often. He had refused to even give her his name, even though she knew it.

"Who hired you? It is all I need to know."

He kept his silence.

"Other members of your team have talked," she told him.

Hamilton said nothing. He doubted what she said, but it might be true. He knew the 'prisoners dilemma', as did his team. They all knew how to play it.

"What do you think of Greek Architecture?" she asked him.

Hamilton's mind raced as he considered the question. What it meant. One possibility came to him but he kept his composure. They could not know.

"Do you know this man?" she asked him. A picture of a man was displayed on the wall in front of him. Hamilton fought to keep his calm. It had to be a lucky guess. Maybe one of his team had talked.

"He is somewhat average looking isn't he?" she said, there was something critical in her voice. "He could stand to lose a little weight I think, just a little mind you. I think his eyes are his best feature. Take a moment to look at him, just to be sure."

For a moment Hamilton thought to deny knowing him, but after giving her silence for so long the denial would sound guilty.

"Perhaps this might help," she said.

The picture changed. The man stood in a well-lit room, surrounded by pieces of Greek artwork in glass cases.

"This was taken in the ROM(Royal Ontario Museum), January 26th of this year. I think he likes the Greek work," she said. "It is hard to be sure though. Do you recognise him now?"

Hamilton was sure his heartbeat was speeding up slightly. If they had sensors in the room, which he was sure they did, then they had some answers. Looking at the pictures, he was sure that they already had all the answers.

"How about this picture?"

A new picture was projected. The man sitting on a bench in the same room. Beside him was Hamilton. Several more pictures were shown, he and the man talking, then the man handing him something.

"We've been curious as to what he gave you," she said. "I think it is an envelope, but one of my colleagues thinks it is simply a piece of folded paper. Care to end our argument?"

Hamilton said nothing. It was part of his code that he did not betray a client.

The picture on the wall faded away. Behind he heard the sound of her heels as she walked away. The door opened and he turned, for the first time, looking back at her. He caught a flash of her profile and her long hair before the door closed.

Brown, he thought. He had thought it would be red. For some strange reason he was disappointed.

* * *

Hamilton slept, he ate, he used the basic sanitary features the cell came with, and he waited. He did not know how long he waited, by his meals he guessed he had only been there for two, maybe three days. It was hard to be sure though. It was easy to drug people, make them lose track of time. He had seen it done before.

When the next chime sounded he once again took his time before taking a seat. The door opened and he heard the sounds of heels clicking on the floor.

"I'm going to tell you a story Mr. Davis," she said. "It could be fact, it might be fiction. I want you to tell me what you know for certain to be a fact. There was a man," on the wall in front of him the picture she had shown him earlier appeared, "let's call him Mr. Y. Mr. Y worked for a rather large company." A new picture appeared, the man walking out of the lobby of some building. Another picture, no, the same picture, from a greater distance. More of the building was visible, Hamilton could see the Genom name, he recognised the building. It was in Vancouver.

"Mr. Y was a very good employee, he ensured his company stayed well ahead of all others. To do this he often hired teams of specialists; teams that had no connection to his company and so offered him complete deniability. Usually he would send these teams after the competition, to slow down their projects and or steal valuable resources."

Hamilton kept his calm, trying not to let any of the things that were going on inside him show on his face, or in his posture, or anywhere. That man could not have been Genom. They had checked him out thoroughly.

"Of course, in time, the other companies better protected themselves from that sort of thing," she continued. "Mr. Y looked at the new situation and knew that the old way of doing things had become too costly. He needed a new way to deal with the competitors. Being a clever man, and well appreciated by his company, he came up with a very clever plan.

"He went to a group of specialists, a well trained group that had done work for his company before. He crafted a new identity for himself, so they would not know who he was." The picture of Hamilton and the man sitting in the museum was put on the wall again. "He did not tell them what company he was from, but he left a few clues that this group would follow, and in finding out who he worked for would think themselves very clever. He hired them to go and steal property from another company.

"The information he gave them on the target was as false as his background, but this group did not know that. It looked good to them. They walked right into a trap. Had this company they were attacking not been keeping an eye on Mr. Y, they suspected he was up to something you see, then they might have killed most or all of these specialists as Mr. Y had hoped they would.

"What would have then happened is much what you would expect. The company would have checked this team, interrogated any survivors, and, based on what they would find they would think that this other company, the one that the group thought Mr. Y belonged to, had attacked them. Of course, things like that cannot go unanswered, so there would have been a counter-strike.

"From that counter-strike others would follow. Strike and counter-strike, quiet little wars. Mr. Y would be pleased by that because it would mean his company's enemies were fighting each other, wasting time and money in that. His company would benefit.

"Very clever, isn't it Mr. Davis?"

Hamilton said nothing.

He listened as she walked away, then he heard the door open and close. Then there was silence.

* * *

"Mr. Davis," the distorted voice said.

Hamilton was lying on his cot, staring up at the ceiling. He did not answer.

"Mr. Davis, open cupboard number three."

He did not get up for almost a minute, then he rose, and walked across his cell. There were several cupboards mounted on the wall. Some were locked, some were not. He had found food, cigarettes, a video game, and other things in the unlocked cupboards. Number three had been locked the last time he checked it. He was not sure how long ago that had been.

He stood in front of the cupboard for a time, then opened it. At first he thought that there was nothing inside, then he saw something at the back. He reached in and removed it. It was a blindfold.

"Mr. Davis, please put the blindfold on."

Hamilton stretched it out in both hands, looking down at it for almost a minute. As he lifted it up he told himself if they wanted to kill him they did not have to go to any great lengths to do so. He covered his eyes with the material then tied it close. It was a wide band with a dense weave and there was no way he could arrange it so that he might see.

He heard the door open behind him. The footfalls that he heard were those of a boot, not the click of heels. He was disappointed.

"Mr. Davis," someone said, the voice sound male. "Please take my arm."

Hamilton reached out, feeling around for the arm that he was offered. He touched it, then reached out to grasp it. The material under his fingers was smooth and thin and it fit loose around the arm he had taken.

"Come with me," the person said, then directed Hamilton out of the cell.

They walked along the corridors, took an elevator up, and then entered a room that sounded large to Hamilton. The air was cold, and fresh, though it was mixed with the exhaust of vehicles.

He was led down a short flight of stairs, then helped into what he assumed was a car. Once he was seated he heard the door slam shut. To left he heard a door open, the car shifted as someone got in, then the door slammed. A few seconds later the car started up.

"Don't take the blindfold off Mr. Davis. Just relax. You have nothing to worry about," the man told him. The car began to move.

Hamilton reached around for his seat belt then put it on. Settling back in the seat he tired to relax.

* * *

The stopping of the car woke Hamilton. He sat up, looking around for a moment before he remembered the blindfold.

"Please wait Mr. Davis," his escort told him, "do not take the blindfold off." He got out of the car.

Hamilton felt the car move as the trunk was open. A few seconds later it was slammed shut. He wondered what had just been taken out.

His door opened. "Please, step out of the car Mr. Davis."

Hamilton undid his seat belt and got out. The air was cold, and his feet crunched in snow. He could hear the sound of other vehicles, the sound of talking but he could not make out much.

"Please do not try to remove your blindfold for at least a minute Mr. Davis. Goodbye."

He heard the sound of the man walking away, his feet breaking through the snow. The car door opened, the car door closed. He could hear similar sounds in the distance. A moment later the car was moving away.

Hamilton reached up and pulled off his blindfold. He turned and watched as the taillights of the car he had been in faded as it drove off along a snow covered road. There were other cars as well, all driving away.

He turned to look around. There were four other people around him, the closest about ten meters away. He knew who they were, and while he could not see them, he knew they all wore blindfolds.

Lying in the snow was his pack, his parka covering it.

"Hamilton?" someone called.

He looked up. It was Jasmine. She was walking towards him.

"Jas." He nodded, then walked over to his pack. Pulling the parka off he saw his battle rifle lying atop of it. He put the parka on.

"What happened?"

"They let us go," Tony called. "I can't believe they let us go."

"Where are we?" Rebecca asked, looking around, and up at the stars.

"Just a moment," Keith called as he rummaged through his pack. No one else said anything. After a few seconds Keith had removed something from his pack. "Well, assuming they didn't mess with this, we're just outside of the city of Burlington, we're still in Canuck land, and it will be eleven thirty six local time in twenty one seconds."

Hamilton removed his rifle from the side of the pack and looked it over. Everything was as it should be, though the magazine was empty. He began taking the weapon apart.

"What are we going to do?" Jasmine asked.

"Walk into town, get a hotel room."

Jasmine nodded.

"What do you mean walk into town and get a room." Tony grabbed his pack and ran towards Hamilton. "We were set up. Are we just going to take this lying down?" he demanded.

Hamilton did not say anything. Had they told the others what they had told him? Had they told them more? Had any of his team talked? Until he had more answers he was not going to volunteer any information. Maybe this was all a set up.

"I can't believe that Genom would set us up," Jasmine said. "We've worked for them before, gave them good service. It doesn't make sense."

"Of course it makes sense," Tony said. "We know too much. They needed some sacrificial lambs, they chose us. This Mr. Y gets what he wants, and Genom gets rid of people who could have proven a problem. This is exactly the sort of thing they would do."

Hamilton opened his pack and put the pieces of his rifle into it. He found his pistol in the top pouch. They magazines with it were all full. He shoved one into the pistol, pulled back the action, released it, and then checked to make sure the weapon was on safe. He looked around as he shoved the pistol into the back of his jeans' waistband.

"So what do we do?" Rebecca asked as she walked towards the others, dragging her pack through the snow.

"Show them they can't treat us like pawns in their world-wide chess game," Tony told her.

"Sounds dangerous," Keith said, walking past Tony.

"They can't get away with this!"

Hamilton pulled his pack on and began walking along the road.

"Where are you going?" Tony yelled.

"Into town, to get a hotel room," Hamilton told him.

"What about long term?" Jasmine asked as she ran up to him, getting her pack on as she ran.

"I don't know about long term."

"They set us up to die!" Tony said as he ran after him. He got in front of him, walking backwards. "We can't let them get away with that. It's a matter of honour."

"We can't afford to have honour," Hamilton answered. Tony was his team's hot head, and he expected that from him. Deep down he agreed with the man, but he wasn't about to go off half cocked just because he was angry.

"Bullshit!" Tony snapped.

"What are we supposed to do?" Keith asked, his long stride allowing him to catch up at a fast walk. "Take out Genom?"

"Just hurt them, enough so they will realise that there are some people they don't jerk around like that."

"Is that what they told you?" Hamilton asked.

"They didn't tell me anything, beyond the fact they knew who hired us, and that we had been set up."

"Why did they let us go?" Jasmine asked.

"No value in killing us," Keith said. "We didn't have time to see anything of importance, we have no information of value. Maybe they want to hire us?"

"Maybe they have hired us already," Hamilton said.

"If they want us to go after Genom, I'm amenable to that," Tony told him.

"How do we know it was Genom?"

"This is exactly what they would do. It smells of them. We've set up tail chasers for the bastards before, you know this is one of their ops."

"Guys, wait up!" Rebecca called from behind them. They turned to see the petite brunette dragging her pack after them, trying to catch up.

They all stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"All that Growth Restraint you did back in the twenties not seeming like such a good idea?" Keith asked good-naturedly.

"Stuff it," she snapped at him.

"If you were as young as you looked I'd wash your mouth out," he told her as he picked up her pack. He easily handled both of the packs.

Hamilton started walking again.

"You said he was with Aberdeen," Tony said, looking at Rebecca.

"All the files said he was. I hacked their system, found him in a really secure space."

"How secure?" Hamilton asked.

"Incredibly secure. It was in a hidden file, fortunately I've seen things like that before so it wasn't a problem."

"If you were a legit operator on that system, would it still have been hidden?"

"Damn straight," she told him.

"Genom knows you pretty well don't they?"

"Fairly well," she admitted.

"So, if they dumped a well hidden file on Aberdeen's computer, they'd have reason to believe that you would find it?"

"I guess."

"See," Tony said, a victory cry.

"It doesn't prove anything," Hamilton told them.

"But it is interesting," Keith said.

"It raises some interesting questions," Hamilton said.

"I say we hit them hard, teach them a lesson," Tony almost shouted.

"We'll talk about it, later," Hamilton said, the tone of his voice saying the conversation was over for the time being.

* * *

**February 5th, Toronto, Ontario, Canada**

Spectators were kept back by police who stood by the barricades and, to a lesser extent, the heat. The flames rose high into the air, the harsh light chasing away the darkness. A tower of smoke, streaked with sparks, rose into the air. Ash was beginning to fall, small flecks of carbonised material falling on the heads and shoulders of the people who watched.

There was a cheering off to the side as the crowd saw a fire boomer exit the flames, carrying two survivors. It gave them over to the paramedics, then turned and walked back into the blaze. The powerful cooling units mounted on the boomer pushed the fire back for a moment, forming a sphere of safety around it, then, as it went deeper, the flames closed in behind it, blocking it from the view of the crowd.

Some distance away was parked an armoured truck. It was up on Younge Street's sidewalk, blocking pedestrian traffic. Two members of the city's police were there to deal with any complaints.

From inside the truck Roger Ota watched the fire on a set of screens. He watched through the eyes of boomers, allowing him to see the interior of the structure as it burnt. He watched through the lenses of a number of camera crews, giving him an excellent view of the exterior. From those views he already knew that the building was beyond salvaging. It would have to be torn down and rebuilt from the foundations up.

He managed to find some positive aspects to the fire. The fire boomers were performing excellently. Sales of the fire boomers always went up after such a blaze. Rebuilding would also provide a chance to showcase some new, Genom construction products.

Roger did not dwell on the positive too much; he was still too tied up in the negative. It had taken Genom some time to make inroads into Canada. After the country had managed to cut its oppressive ties to America it had been incredibly paranoid about letting any other foreign power exert too much power within the country. Genom counted as such a power.

The Genom Centre-once the Eaton Centre-had become a showcase for Genom's products. Its many shops were full of things Genom made, from boomers to NAVIs, cars to clothes. The attack on the Centre had been a direct affront to Genom, an insult, and a challenge.

Someone had just made a very big mistake and Roger swore vengeance.

"Sir?" Nancy Jared said as she entered the armoured car. "Am I interrupting?"

"No." He turned away from the screen. "What do you have for me?"

"We've pulled the files from the security system. I think we have found what you wanted." She removed her parka

"Tell me."

"My people are still working on the security system. Someone hit us with a powerful virus at the same time the fire started. Of course they are connected."

"Of course," Roger said sarcastically.

"We know how the fire was set."

"How?"

"Several rockets loaded with powerful incendiary charges were used. They were fired into the Centre from a number of different points, setting several different fires that quickly spread."

"How could they have done that? The walls and glass of the building are armoured to prevent this from happening."

"I think I know, but until I can examine the security records I don't want to say."

"How long?"

"Three or four hours."

"The people who did this are escaping," he said.

"We have people watching the airports, the train station, the bus stations, looking for any of the well known mercenaries."

"Get me the information as soon as you can. I need to know who ordered this."

"Yes sir." She got to her feet. "I'll have it for you as soon as possible."

Roger nodded, looking back at the screens and the fire.

Nancy put on her parka and left the truck.

* * *

Hours later, when the city's investigators were just beginning to shift through the still hot embers, Roger was finding out what happened.

"We've found out who did this, how, and who hired them," Nancy said as she removed a disk cartridge from the computer. She slotted two MMSDs into the cartridge then pushed then cartridge back into the computer.

"We went through all the computer records and found several people that are in our records, of course some of these people were just shopping. We cross referenced all the people and matched them by known teams. This is Hamilton Davis." The computer, voice activated, put a picture of Hamilton on the screen. "He's got a very good record, and he's worked for Genom in the past. He always gives his best. We trace out his paths through the Centre and we see he spent time in three of the sites that were hit by missiles.

"Next, Tony Siprian." The computer shifted images. The man was holding a pad of paper in his hand. "Type A personality. Known to have worked with Davis for the last six years. Spent most of his time outside the Centre, looking in, drawing pictures." The image shifted, showing one of his pictures. It was very good. "It was likely he was the primary shooter. He could have followed this path." A map appeared of the exterior of the Centre, a red line tracing out on the route. "He would have been able to fire four of the missiles in a little less than a minute."

"Keith Otton, tech specialist. Did a quick walk through, we assume it was just to figure out how well everything would burn. I suspect he built the warheads in question. May have also done some firing.

"Jasmine Byron who presents herself as somewhat vapid is the team's assassin. She scouted out several other spaces that the rockets hit.

"Rebecca Lin, she's twenty five by the way, not that you could tell. She is a computer expert who has worked for Genom in the past. She put the virus in our computer. She also was seen around the Centre almost constantly. She put on a school uniform and blended in with the many other students who come to the Centre to hang out. I think we should put some sort of control on them in the future," Nancy said.

"It would make us seem draconian. It never does to upset future customers," Roger told her.

"Yes sir. Miss Lin and several of her friends, or flunkies, engaged in several games of squirt gun tag. They were very conscientious about it mind you, they never hit another customer, which is why they did not get kicked out right away. They did hit the walls a few times, and the outside windows."

"The same windows that the rockets came through?" he asked.

"Exactly. We suspect it was a crude nanotech of some sort, to weaken the windows a little. The rockets also had a nose mounted secondary missile. This missile launched after the primary missiles launch and hit the windows something like point zero one seconds before the main rocket. The micro missiles broke the weakened windows, the rockets passed through unimpeded, and the fires were set."

"That's everything?"

"The basics."

"Where are they?" Roger asked, his tone demanding.

"Gone. We have people looking for them, but they have likely gone to ground. We did manage to trace some of Mr. Davis' and the other's funds before they cleaned them. We don't know where they went, but we know where their most recent funds came from."

"Where?"

"Traced back to Aberdeen Industrial."

"Under the benevolent protection of Hou Bang." Roger shook his head and smiled slightly.

"They are."

"Thank you."

"Sir, may I ask what you are going to do?"

"I'm going to make them realise the magnitude of their error. You may go now."

"Yes sir," she said.

* * *

**February 6th, Tacoma, Washington, America**

A piece of charred wood crunched under Maggie Ray's foot. Around her were the blackened, skeletal remains of several warehouses.

"How much damage?" she asked, turning towards the man beside her.

"Current estimates put the damage total at thirty million dollars," Mike Bernard told her.

"Will we be able to meet our contracts?"

"Not for three weeks, at least. Estimated loss will be..."

"About forty million dollars."

"Yes."

"Damn. We'll need some help if we are to survive." She shook her head. "How did it start?"

"It looks like an accident. It was an electrical fire. It started near a chemical storage area. Within two minutes of the fire starting we had our first explosion."

"Was it an accident?"

"No." He reached into her jacket and removed a clear plastic bag.

"What is this?" Maggie took the bag from Mike, holding it up. In the bag was what looked like a piece of burnt metal.

"The remains of a centimetre long robot, often called a 'fire bug'."

"You found this where the fire broke out?"

"Yes."

"Where's the rest of it?"

"Gone. They burn very well. My people went in while the fire was still burning, it was the only reason we found anything."

"These fire bugs, common?" She handed the bag back to him.

"No."

"Who uses them?"

"There are roughly twelve arsonists in the world who make use of these devices. One of them, a 'Carlos Bitter', was in the area. Intelligence suggests Mr. Bitter has worked for Genom in the past."

"Why would Genom attack us?"

"I don't know."

"It does not make sense. None of the contracts we are going to lose would be of any particular interest to Genom."

"Private matter?"

"Doesn't fit." She stopped by one of the burnt out buildings and bent down and picked up a twisted piece of blackened metal.

"And yet it looks possible."

"Can we take any of this information to the authorities?"

"No. It is mostly conjecture. Any half decent lawyer would tear it apart."

"Mike, I don't want to start something with Genom without reason."

"If we do nothing, it might give them reason for other attacks. Maybe that was the point of this, to see if we are willing to react."

"You sound paranoid."

"It's part of my job."

Maggie looked at the metal in her hand, then dropped it. "Investigate this. I don't want you hitting Genom until you are sure they ordered this."

"I'll get on it. I should know in twelve hours."

* * *

**MegaTokyo, 10km East of the Tower, Red Castle Executive Condos.  
February 9th, Thursday, 6:00am**

The alarm sounded softly, the music classical rock, the Beatles this week. Reaching out from under the covers, green eyes still closed, Domino brushed her hand against the snooze bar, quieting the music for a time. Withdrawing her arm back under the warmth of the covers she curled up, drifting back into sleep and a dream.

Several minutes later 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' began to play once again.

Domino threw the covers back, shivering slightly in the cooler air, then got out of her bed. She reached down and turned her alarm off. As she made her way to the bathroom door she unbuttoned her night-shirt, slipped it off her shoulders, then let it fall to the floor, leaving it in her wake.

She started the water flowing for the shower, setting the temperature, before relieving herself.

The warm water of the shower was washing over her a few moments later, soaking her long black hair. She picked up the shampoo from a small shelf in the shower cubicle and began to lather up her hair.

She cut the shower shorter that she would have liked, made a promise to cut her hair to a more manageable length, not for the first time, and grabbed a towel. She would never cut her hair though. Long hair gave her a certain air of arrogance, of aristocracy. Short hair was practical, for those who were concerned with time. She wanted people to think that she was completely in control, to the point where she could take the time to care of long hair. Fortunately she did not need much sleep.

Half an hour later Domino walked from her bathroom, a towel wrapped around her. She knelt down and picked up the night-shirt with one hand, the other was holding her towel shut, stood up and walked over to her closet.

After dropping the night-shirt, then the towel, into the laundry hamper she began to look through the clothes hanging in the large space of her closet.

Taking a dark blue skirt suit from the closet she crossed the room to a chest of drawers, laying the suit on a chair as she passed. With a few moments of searching she had her lingerie picked out, then walked over to the chair where her suit was, and began to get dressed.

She left the jacket off, leaving it hanging on the back of the chair as she left her room.

Entering the kitchen Domino pulled an apron off a hook by the door and put it on. She turned the stove on and began removing the things she needed from the cupboards around her.

She worked quickly, efficiently, preparing the small meal.

Eating quickly, she finished her meagre breakfast then began to prepare a smaller dish.

Rice, a few segments of a mandarin orange to offset the rice, a small flower picked from the nasturtium near the sink, it worked well.

After that she washed her hands and rinsed her mouth out.

Filling a shot glass to the brim with sake, she reached up to place it on the kamidana on the wall.

She stepped back and clapped her hands together then bowed her head in prayer, calling on Inari. After a few moments she raised her head, her prayer finished.

After filling another tumbler full of sake she took it and the small bowl of rice then exited the kitchen. Her Bustudan had a small room to itself just off the entry hall. She knelt in front of it, placed the plate and the glass on the floor then smoothed out her apron.

Opening the black, lacquered cabinet revealed the three Ihai, the memorial tablets for her dead ancestors. One for Katsuhito Stingray, another for Brian Mason and the third for Largo. Of course none of their names were on the tablets. Instead, on the tablets were their kaimyo, their posthumous names.

With care she placed the plate of food and the glass in front of the altar. She lit a stick of incense and placed it in front of the altar as well.

Domino did not feel herself particularly religious though she occasionally wrestled with the concept of the soul, or the spirit, or even her karma. Still she was not one to rebuff possible help so she called on Inari for protection and she made sure her 'ancestors' would never have reason to cause her problems. She always offered plenty of sake to keep them drunk and happy. And if not happy, well, unable to do anything.

The Bustudan and Kamidana also served as camouflage; they gave her a history of sorts. She had filled her apartment with similar objects; computer generated pictures of a childhood that had never existed, favourite toys she had never played with and momentoes from a life she had never lived. All camouflage.

She extinguished the stick of incense then got to her feet. After bowing slightly, a hint of a smile playing on her face, she turned and walked from the room.

She went into the kitchen to clean up the last of the mess, then took her apron off and hung it up.

Returning to her bedroom Domino went through her closet, removing her shoulder holster. She slipped into it as she crossed to her bed, reached under her pillow and pulled out a 9mm pistol. After making sure the weapon was safe, she slid the pistol into the holster. Grabbing the jacket, she walked over to her mirror.

Domino pulled her jacket on in front of the full-length mirror, and made sure that the weapon did not show. She smiled at her reflection, nodded, then turned and walked from her room.

In her living room an open briefcase lay on the oak kotatsu. She knelt down in front of it and removed her computer from the briefcase. A plastic sheet rolled out from the rectangular box, the material stiffening, forming a screen. Another sheet of plastic, ninety degrees to the first, rolled out, forming a keyboard.

Domino entered several passwords, connecting to the Genom ExecNet. A few more passwords and she was able to download the information on the last series of attacks.

Corporation security and warfare was not her department, but Genom appreciated personal initiative. It was also wise to keep up on things during a war.

It had all started with an attack on the Genom Centre in Toronto by Aberdeen Heavy Industries, part of Hou Bang. Roger Ota had retaliated, understandable, though perhaps a bit hasty. That should have ended it, but for some reason Aberdeen was acting very strangely. The attack on the Genom Centre was pointless to begin with, but they had attacked one of Genom's space factories at Lagrange Point 5.

The damage to the factory had been costly, and annoying. Genom had responded by completely shutting down a Kyuusei Research Base in Antarctica.

There had been several more minor blow-ups, and the battle had taken a new turn. Ota had been assassinated several hours before. Domino sighed, the pattern that followed predictable. Maggie Ray had been killed shortly after as well as several of her security people. It was beginning to get nasty.

Domino shut off her computer, watching as the screen and keyboard rolled back into place. The war could get expensive, if it did not stop soon. She did not understand what Hou Bang hoped to achieve by pushing the conflict.

She put the computer away then closed her briefcase. Getting to her feet, she picked the case up from the table, then walked towards the front door.

Stepping down into the entry well, she slid her feet into a set of black pumps with two-inch heels. Not her favourite foot wear but there were certain images one had to maintain. She took her long coat from the coat rack and pulled it on over her suit, it hung down to her ankles.

After opening her door she walked out into the hallway then closed and locked it behind her. On her key chain was a small remote. Placing her thumb over the scanner on it activated the apartment's security measures, extras D had added beyond those supplied by the management. She had added a few as well. After all, it was bad policy to trust anyone completely.

The elevator took her down into the parking garage where her car was waiting-a dark blue sedan, with protection equivalent to a light armoured vehicle and a C class boomer as her chauffeur.

He stood by the car, holding the door open for her.

Domino was stepping out of the elevator, her foot hovering over the threshold, when she heard the sound of screeching tires. She turned her head towards the sound, still balanced on one foot. The boomer was also looking towards the sound. Coming down the entry ramp, very quickly, was a gloss black, military style jeep.

She might have continued to stand there for a second, still trying to decide what was happening, but the cold part of her mind snapped down, sealing all emotion, and confusion as well, away.

When the jeep came to the bottom of the ramp it turned sharply so it was pointing towards Domino's car. There was a flash from the jeep. Domino's driver was just beginning to swell up slightly, about to tear free of its human disguise, when a beam of focused light burnt through the boomer, then through her car, before continuing on to burn into the wall of the garage.

As the boomer was exploding Domino was diving out of the elevator, using the flash to hide herself. She rolled, releasing her briefcase, and came to a stop behind one of the other cars in the garage. Her pistol was in her hands. The sounds of the alarms reached her as the echoing from the blast faded. Above her the sprinklers came on.

It would be twenty to thirty seconds before the building's security boomers reached the garage. She was not sure if the lightweight security models could stand up to whoever it was. There were also two Bu-12Bs in the building, but they could not be released without the security manager's okay. That would take at least a minute. A minute was too long.

Domino listened to the sound of the jeep screeching to a halt. They would be looking around now, trying to find her. Had they seen her move away from the elevator? Probably not, but it would not take them long to realise what she had done. Then they would have to get out of the jeep to search for her.

There was a click, then another, possibly two-the doors of the jeep opening. She stood, turning towards the jeep, pistol held out in front of her, two handed firing stance. One of the occupants was still half way in the jeep; he had an SMG in his hand. She fired, two shots, both of them hitting him in the head. He jerked, then slumped down, still half way in the jeep.

The driver and the other occupant, both on the opposite side of the jeep to her, brought their weapons around and opened up on her.

Domino ran, her shoes slipping on the wet concrete. She felt six rounds hit her-she could feel each hit, precisely gauge the force of the rounds. Four of them were stopped by the ballistic weave of her coat, dimpling the material, and bruising-in some cases tearing-the flesh underneath, but not penetrating.

Two slid through the weave, ripping into her right shoulder, one passing through, the other impacting on the bone. She leapt, covering the last of the distance, landing behind her own car. She could feel her blood running down her arm. The limb was frozen. Her housekeeping computer reported serious, but correctable damage and was doing what it could to stop the blood flow and bypass the damaged nerve relays.

Domino shifted the pistol into her left hand and stood up, firing as soon as she cleared the cover the car afforded her. Of the two assassins, one had moved out from behind the car, moving around to flank her. She had a relaxed bearing, as if she did not expect her wounded quarry to be getting up-she had probably fired the armour piercing rounds, Domino decided. The other one, the driver, was crouched down, still using his jeep as cover.

Domino shot the driver through the open doors of his jeep, putting three roughs into his neck. The woman jerked to a stop, bringing her weapon up. Domino shot her twice in the head while the driver was still crumpling beside the jeep.

She stood still for a moment, not moving. The water from the sprinklers continued to rain down on her. Blood ran down the fingers of her right hand, dripping onto the garage floor, immediately diluted and lost in the water.

None of her would be assassins moved. It was all surprisingly peaceful. Then the security boomers showed up.

Domino dropped her pistol to her side and waited for the two boomers to verify she was supposed to be here and the three dead people were not. One moved towards the bodies, the other moved towards her.

It stopped three meters away. "Odotte, Domino," it said in a flat voice, staring at her with its dead eyes. "Commands?"

"Ensure assailants are dead, use this gun," she told it as she tossed her pistol to the boomer. It caught it, and then threw it over to its partner in one, smooth movement. The other boomer caught the weapon without looking up. A second later she heard the loud retort of the gun as the other boomer administered the coup de grace to one of the assassins.

"Completed," the boomer told her.

Domino looked over at her driver. The flames went out even as she watched. "Give me a security status and tell me if the police are coming," she said.

"Status is now all clear, no other suspects in area. Police will arrive in two minutes."

"I was never here," Domino told it as she walked towards her briefcase. "The person who killed these men was an unknown, non-Genom employee." Manslaughter, no matter that it was in self-defence, would likely get her arrested and possession of a handgun was also convictable. Only the police and criminals carried guns in Japan; it made it easy to decide whom to arrest.

"Understood," the boomer said.

"Give me back my weapon."

The boomer that had used it threw it across the room. She caught it out of the air, took a moment to be sure that it was indeed hers, then put it back in the shoulder holster.

Domino put the boomers from her mind, they would do as she had said. The police might not believe it, but already security tapes were being edited to match the story she had just created. Domino grabbed her briefcase and began walking towards the back of the garage.

"You are wounded," the boomer informed her.

"Unimportant," Domino told it, walking away.

Parked in between a 2032 Ferrari GT and a Griffon was Domino's Nissan Fairlady 240GZ. She had liberated it from the Genom executive motor pool-much to the motor pool's supervisor's dismay-as her private vehicle. She did not use it often due to the fact she preferred to have a chauffeur drive her...and the car attracted otaku like a magnet. As she approached the car she removed the small remote she had used earlier from her pocket, pointed it at the car, and pressed another sequence of buttons. There was a click as the doors unlocked and then the engine roared to life.

She pulled the door open, tossed her briefcase onto the passenger's seat, then climbed in. Reaching across her body with her left hand, she pulled the door close.

She put the car into gear and drove out of the building, shifting her hand from the gearshift to the steering wheel. The two security boomers stood where she had left them, waiting for the police, or the building's security manager. She drove by them, turned up the ramp, and left the garage. She shifted her hand between the wheel and the gearshift again, putting the car into second as she drove onto the street.

It was going to be a long drive, she thought. In the distance she could hear the sound of approaching sirens.

* * *

**San Francisco, February 8, 9:00pm**

Reika put her computer aside and rubbed at her eyes.

"Here," Kou said, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks." Reika smiled at him.

"What are you working on?" he asked, taking a seat across from her.

"Trying to decide on what songs to put on the album, and trying to figure out what is happening. What is Genom doing?"

"Corporate war," he told her.

"What does that mean?"

"It means they are trying to destroy us. We have no other option but to try to destroy them, hope that they will realise that the cost is too high and stop this."

"It's a pretty quiet war."

Kou laughed softly. "If you want to survive the war one thing you cannot do is let the general public know what is going on. It is why we cloak all our attacks in the guise of accidents. It is why we make allow people to think attacks on us are accidents."

Reika reached over and picked up her computer. She looked through the information again. "How can we afford to take these losses?"

"We can't, but neither can Genom. We're both in real danger of being hit by a third party that will take advantage our shared weakness."

"What if we offer Genom a truce?"

"Will they take it?"

"Why shouldn't they?"

"They hit Aberdeen for some reason, there was something they wanted very bad and going after Aberdeen was a way to get it. That happens every now and then. We responded, to show them we will, and that should have been it...but it was not. They want this fight."

"It doesn't make sense."

"It must, to Genom."

Reika shook her head and turned her attention back to her computer.

"How is the labour dispute going?" Kou asked her after a few minutes.

"Well enough," she said, not looking up from the computer. "We've been coming on very hard during negotiations for the past week, the union is about to have a fit." She looked up, smiling slightly. "We'll give into some of their demands in a few days, it should allow us to wrap up the whole thing within a week."

"You sound like you are on top of the situation."

"I try."

"What about the tour?"

"That is going to be a bigger problem. I'm not sure we will have the album released in time, and I'll have to complete the work on the new GD-42 plant before I can request the leave of absence."

"You don't have to do this," Kou said.

"Yes I do. I made a promise."

"You don't have to do it by yourself."

Reika stared at him angrily for a moment, then the hard line of her mouth softened. "Thank you, but I need to know if I can do this."

There was more that Kou wanted to say, but he held it back. It could be said later. "You should call it a night."

Reika looked as if she might refuse, then nodded and began packing up. Kou waited until she had everything ready then escorted her from her office. They took the elevator down to the lobby of the Kyuusei Plaza, and then walked from the building.

The air was cool, cool enough to chase the less pleasant scents of the city away. Reika pulled her coat around herself, enjoying the warmth. Kou walked beside her, ever alert, as they crossed the open space in front of the building.

There were a small number of people around, some other late night workers, and a few pedestrians. They were nearing their car when Kou spotted two men cutting across the open plaza towards them.

"Trouble," he said softly so only Reika would hear. He lengthened his pace, hoping to reach the car before the men reached him.

"Miss Chang," one of them called. "May we talk to you?"

Kou moved, putting himself in front of Reika. "What is it?"

"Are you Miss Chang?" the other one sneered.

The first one held up his hand to silence the other. "We're with the paper, we just have a few questions for Miss Chang."

Behind Kou, Reika moved slightly so she could see the two men. They looked harmless enough, their hands were in the open, their open wind breakers blowing in the wind.

"She is not giving any interviews," Kou told them.

"Just a few things off the record," the man tried.

They were probably harmless, but they were wasting her and Kou's time. Just a distraction from what was really important. Neither she nor Kou needed that.

Just a distraction?

"She does not want to talk to you," Kou said.

Reika looked around, trying to give the movement a feel of boredom and not worry. There was a woman walking towards her. She had paused when Reika had looked around. Movement attracts attention, Kou had told her. Stop moving if you don't want to be seen.

Using her body to cover the action from the woman behind her, and Kou's body to cover it from the two men in front, she reached into her coat, and then into jacket, placing her hand on the revolver she carried.

"Listen, I can write this either way, but wouldn't you rather I had the facts?"

Reika turned, directly facing the woman behind her. The woman started. Behind her she could sense things happening, the men trying to see what she was doing, perhaps reacting to it, Kou reacting to them.

The woman's hand went into her coat, Reika removed her revolver, the weapon sliding easily from the holster. She used her thumb to cover the hammer so it would not get caught in the material of her jacket.

"Don't move!" she heard Kou shout. Was he talking to her or the men?

Reika had her revolver out and pointed at the woman. She had something clear of her coat, but Reika was not sure what it was. A gun? A small camera? It could be anything; it might even be a pen. Maybe the woman had recognised her as Vision and just wanted an autograph. She cocked the hammer back with her thumb.

In her mind she could hear Kou urging her to shoot, or maybe it was his actual voice. What was in that woman's hands?

There was a gun shot, loud, from behind her. Someone pushed her hard, knocking her aside. Another gunshot echoed throughout the plaza. Reika fell to the ground, but she still had her pistol pointed towards the woman.

It had to be a gun, Reika thought, but still did not fire. Someone stepped over her, Kou. She kept the pistol pointed on the woman, shifting her aim slightly to avoid Kou's leg, then she fired.

Reika watched as the woman jerked back as the round hit her-she did not fall, however. Reika fired again. The woman still did not fall. Armoured clothing, Reika realised. She shifted her point of aim up, towards the woman's head, then froze. It was a killing shot.

The woman fired. Above Reika, Kou stumbled forward. He had been hit. Reika fired. The woman fell back, a spray of blood in her wake.

She lay on the ground, breathing deeply, the pistol still held out in front of her.

"It's over," Kou said.

Reika looked up for the first time. Kou stood above her, his pistol in his hand. Reika got to her feet and looked around. People were running from the plaza, security was just coming out of the building. On the ground in front of her one man lay unmoving, the other on his knees, trying to stem the blood flow from a ruined hand and wrist.

"Are you all right?" she asked Kou.

"Maybe a broken rib," he told her, sounding unconcerned. "The jacket stopped the round."

"Miss Chang," one of the security guards came to a stop beside her. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Reika said, feeling detached from things. Her knees were scrapped bloody from hitting the ground, but it hardly seemed to matter.

"Come on," Kou said, taking her arm. "Check the area out, and the car," Kou ordered as he led Reika back towards the building.

"Shouldn't we wait for the police?" Reika asked.

"If at all possible we will avoid letting the police know what happened. It is better for all concerned that way."

Reika said nothing. She looked at the revolver in her hand, and then put it away.

* * *

**Tech Notes:  
**Domino's car - Domino's car is a Nissan Fairlady 240ZG, a rather old, classic car. The Genom Motorpool has a number of old cars, and new, available to those who need them. An executive at Domino's status can, of course, requisition such vehicles.  
The car has been modified slightly. The windows are bullet-proof, the high performance tires are as well, and a fine, kevlar mesh covers the interior of the car's body, offering protection against small arms. The security system on the car is cutting edge and is able to detect tampering, such as car bombs or tracers.  
The car has an interesting history, having once been part of the Tokyo Police force. They modified the car in a number of ways, including a speaker and flashing light that could pop up from under the bonnet. Those modifications remain, though the car has been painted black.  
With its big, S20 2400cc engine, its primary strength are speed and manoeuvrability. It runs from fights, if they happen.

Shadowrun(r) Stats Handling: 3/7 Speed: 200 Acceleration: 10 Body: 4 Armour: 4 Signature: 3 Autonav: 0 Pilot-  
Sensor-  
Cargo: 5 Load: 50

_"One cannot accomplish things simply with cleverness. One must take a broad view. It won't due to make rash judgements concerning good and evil. However, one should not be sluggish. It is said that one is not truly a samurai if he doesn't make his decisions quickly and right through to completion"  
_**- Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	8. Flash Powder 2

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 2 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1998;1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**February 9th, Tokyo, 09:14am**

"Leon-chan, should we be doing this?" Daily asked, leaning back in the Road Chaser's seat.

"Of course not, but I am more than a little interested."

"Fine." Daily closed his eyes. "You explain it to the chief if he asks."

"You know the old man will never ask. As long as he does not know he'll be happy."

"Isn't the 'as long as he does not know' the difficult part?"

"We'll see." Leon brought the Road Chaser to a halt just behind a police cruiser. "Want to come?"

"I'll stay here and watch the car," Daily told him, not opening his eyes.

"Fine. I'll leave the engine running so you don't get cold."

"Thanks."

Leon got out of the car and closed the door harder than necessary. Unfortunately Daily did not seem perturbed by the noise. After pulling his jacket tight around him he turned and walked towards the entrance to the garage. A uniformed officer moved to intercept him but Leon flashed his badge at the woman. She stood back and let him pass.

After that he had to deal with a member of Genom security who did not seem so impressed by the ADP badge, but let him through. He walked down the ramp, into the parking garage. He splashed through a number of puddles on the way down. Where the garage floor was not just damp, there were puddles.

He looked around, noting the burned out limousine near the elevators, the jeep not too far from the ramp and all the expensive cars. It looked like Genom executives liked to live well.

Not too far from him was a woman he recognised, speaking to a man he also recognised.

"Oi, lieutenant Bach," he called.

"Leon-san," Vanessa called back. "Long time no see."

"Been busy," he told her as he walked close. "Sakamoto-san," he said, smiling at the man beside Vanessa. It was not a friendly smile.

"Captain McNichol," Sakamoto said coldly.

"Nice to see you've been keeping up with me."

"Ah, you know each other?" Vanessa asked.

"A few years ago I arrested Sakamoto-san on charges related to illegal transport of proscribed boomers. Unfortunately he got off."

"Fortunately I was proven innocent in a court of law."

"And that means so much," Leon said. "So, this is the sort of work Genom has you doing now?"

"Do you have any other questions for me Officer?" he asked Vanessa, pointedly ignoring Leon.

"I believe that's it," Vanessa said. "If there is anything else I'll get in touch with you."

"Do that," he said, and left abruptly.

"He's not a happy man," Leon pointed out.

"What is he so angry about?"

"He was on the fast track before I arrested him. Genom saved him, to keep their own image clean, but after that, they no longer considered him a valued employee. That he has been relegated to a job like that proves to me that karma sometimes does work. So, what happened here?"

"Why is the ADP interested?"

"I heard boomers were involved."

"Not in anything illegal, as far as we can tell."

"So, what happened."

"According to Sakamoto-san an unidentified man entered the garage, pursued by three others. They fought here, all three were killed and the unidentified person escaped."

"What about that limousine over there?"

"Destroyed in the fighting, with its boomer driver."

"Who was it here for?"

"Sakamoto-san claims it was just ready, in case it was needed. Must be nice."

"You're drooling," Leon said, smiling. "Do you believe that?"

"All of it? Part of it? Not really, but they produced some blurry tapes and we gave them a look over. They appear to confirm what we were told. My tech won't even begin to hazard a guess as to whether they are fake or not. I could have someone better brought in to take a look at them, but I'd have to get my chief's okay."

"If your chief is anything like mine I doubt that is going to happen."

"Want a copy?"

"No. I could not do anything with it really."

"So what is up?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think it is good. Last night Shosan Jun, Genom exec, was killed by a car bomb. Rano Yami, Genom exec, was found hanged in her apartment. Harry Chin, Genom exec, was shot three times in the head."

"Well, looks like I miss all the good stuff that happens on night shift."

Leon nodded. "Now we have what looks like a hit team, in the parking garage of a Genom building."

"What do you think is happening?"

"Genom's had a lot of accidents recently. So have some other companies. Don't know for sure, but I think that it might be corporate warfare."

"Should I be worried?"

"Don't know. Depends if what is supposed to be a quiet, subtle war, gets noisy."

"And if it does?"

"Duck."

Vanessa smiled. "I can do that."

"Good. By the way, where's your shadow?"

"Alis is at a seminar in Hokkaido City, she wanted to get as far from you as she could. We heard you are chasing some biker lady, you broke her heart." She laughed.

"Nice to see that you are keeping up on me. I'm flattered. How is the Princess holding up these days?"

"Still is a firm believer in the nobility inherent in the human soul, no matter what its casing."

"Glad someone is."

"Don't be so dark Leon-chan."

"Can you keep me updated about what is going on? I'll return the favour when needed."

"Of course."

"Thanks Vanessa-chan. I got to run."

"Have a nice day." Vanessa called to his back.

* * *

"Find out anything interesting?" Daily asked as Leon got back into the Road Chaser.

"Vanessa Bach is wearing a new perfume."

Daily smiled. "Maybe I should get some. You might notice me."

"It wouldn't suit you. Something is going on."

"I checked with a few friends, the three person team that did all the shooting, they got an identification."

"Anyone special?"

"They are a hit team, been working Mainland China for the past three years. Expensive."

"Things just can't stay quiet in this town."

"Where to now?"

"Back to the office, for now." Leon put the car in gear and began to slowly back out of the area.

* * *

Domino sat on the cold examination table, a paper gown covering her upper legs, pulled just above her navel. Her personal doctor, Shileea Satto, was removing the bullet from her shoulder.

"Have you ever considered wearing a heavier armour?" Doctor Satto asked, removing the bullet. She dropped it into a kidney basin where it clanked loudly.

"The heavier weaves look just like that, heavier weaves of kevlar. It does not hang nice."

"Oh, perish the thought that you don't look like a fashion plate Odotte-san. Better to have a bullet in you, one that severed a control link by the way."

"The secondary is working."

"Probably took a few minutes to kick in."

"Nothing is perfect."

"Well, I'll just fix the link, and then I'll patch this up. You'll be as good as new in a few minutes."

"Thank you doctor. If you were a little less efficient I'd let you go."

"If you can find yourself another physician who can handle your unique condition I'd like to know. There are so few people I can talk shop with."

"Be careful Doctor, working at Genom has taught me that no one is irreplaceable. Not me, not you."

"I like to believe that you'll keep me around because I'm so nice. This is going to hurt a little."

"Wha...? Ow!" Domino almost yelled. It felt as if her entire arm had just been crushed.

"Sorry. It's a bit tricky doing work like this. Don't worry, that's the last of it."

"I should hope so," Domino told her.

"I don't like causing my patients undue pain. I did suggest we put you out for this. You're the one who wanted to tough it out."

The computer at her side suddenly beeped, cutting off Domino's retort. The information it presented to her was not what she considered good. "Six," she said softly. "And only in Tokyo?"

"Pardon?" Shileea asked.

"Six Genom executives including myself were attacked. Three are dead, two wounded, I'm one of them, and one who escaped without injury. Madigan-san has the devil's own luck."

"Should I put myself on combat alert?"

"You should always be so doctor."

"You don't pay me enough," Shileea said as she began to close up Domino's wounds.

"Are people supposed to take this sort of abuse from their doctors?" Domino asked her.

"Yes."

"I'm surprised more doctors aren't killed in homicides."

"It's because we do it out of concern for our thick-headed patients."

"Well thank you Doctor." Domino read over the information scrolling up the screen, shaking her head. Things looked troublesome indeed. She reached out for her jacket, grabbed it with her now perfectly functioning arm and then held it over her chest.

She took her NAVI from within her jacket, flipped it open, and entered a number. The connection rung twice before it was picked up on the other end.

"This is Tetsu," the young woman who answered said, then she looked a little surprised, seeing who was on the other end. "Ah, Odotte-sama."

"Tetsu-kun, I need to know if I can see the Chairman. Call up his secretary and arrange an appointment, as soon as possible, starting ten minutes from now," Domino told her. If she were to get her the appointment right when she asked for it she would end up being late.

"Hai. I understand."

"Good. Call me when you know." Domino cut the connection. "Are you almost finished Satto-hakase?"

"Just give me a minute more," Shileea told her.

Domino nodded and sat back, waiting as the doctor completed her work.

* * *

**San Francisco, February 8, 22:30**

Reika held the coffee mug in both of her hands, letting the heat warm her hands. She felt cold. Every few minutes an image of the woman she had killed entered her mind.

"We have identification on the assassins," Kou said as he closed up his cell phone. He was sitting across from her.

"Who were they?"

"Just a group of average assassins. They've worked the west coast for a couple of years, reasonable quality of work."

"Did Genom hire them?"

"Probably, but we have no proof. We are already working on a retaliatory strike."

"Do we have to?" Reika asked, not caring much for the thought of it.

"We do. It is the only way to stop Genom. We show them that it will cost them loss for loss if they continue this war."

"Isn't that what we have been doing so far?"

"Yes."

"Is it working?"

"No."

Reika said nothing for a moment. "What do we do?"

"That is up to your Grandfather," Kou told her.

"Oh."

"By the way, give me your revolver."

"What?"

"I should have taken it from you earlier, we could have planted it on one of the bodies."

Reika took the weapon from her shoulder holster and handed it to Kou. "What will you do with it?"

"Destroy it. Best way really. Go and wash your hands, take a shower in fact, and give the clothes you were wearing to housekeeping so they can wash them. Might as well get rid of all the powder residue."

"But, it was all in self defence."

"True, but you don't want to go to trial on this, even if they acquit. It's more trouble than you want to deal with, or your Grandfather wants to deal with."

Reika got to her feet. "Seems kind of funny, doing all this. Like I am guilty."

"It's just a precaution. It does no one any good for you to have to waste your time with something like this."

"Kou," Reika started, then paused. "What if it had not been in self defence?"

"Then I would have acted a lot sooner. You would already be on your way out of the country."

Reika blinked, not sure if she had heard right.

"Go clean up," Kou told her as he got to his feet. "This may be a busy night."

Reika turned and walked to the bathroom. She did as Kou said, stripping off her clothes then taking a shower. After she had cleaned herself up she dried off and changed into some clothing. Sweat pants, a T-shirt, none of it really fit her, but that sort of clothing did not have to. Reika wrapped her clothing up in one of the wet towels and carried the bundle out with her.

She then called for a member of the housekeeping staff and gave the man the clothing, telling him to get them dry cleaned right away. He assured her that it would be done, and then left.

Reika walked over to the wet bar and poured herself a cup of coffee. She drank half of it as she walked over to the couch and sat down. Her mind turned over what Kou had told her. That he would do such a thing offended her sense of justice. Wasn't it such abuse of power that allowed Irene's killers to go unpunished?

She put the coffee cup on the table and then drew her legs up and tucked them underneath herself. She had killed a person that night, in self-defence yes, but still, someone was dead by her hand. While she did not think she should be punished for it, she felt that it should, in some way, be admitted.

That would hurt her Grandfather though. Her having to go to trial, it would put yet another stress on him. The old man did not need that. Kou was protecting him as well as her. It was why she cared so much about him.

Still, at what point did she lose her claim to the moral high ground and become like the people she hated, like those who had killed her sister? She was worried that she had passed that point some time before and never noticed.

* * *

**February 9th, Tokyo, 11:00am**

Domino had changed out of her suit. The water had, after all, ruined it. The suit, and the pistol she had used to kill the men, had all been destroyed. Personnel from the motor pool were steam cleaning the interior of her car-not that there was any incriminating evidence within the car. All part of cleaning up after one's own messes.

She was wearing a new suit-she kept a small wardrobe in her office-and had presented herself at the doors of Quincy's office right on time.

When she entered she was a little surprised to see Katherine Madigan was in the office as well.

"Odotte-kun," Quincy said, acknowledging her presence.

"Quincy-shachou." She bowed deeply.

"What is it you wish?"

Domino walked across the floor, stopping a few meters from his desk. She noted that Madigan stood much closer to Quincy, a sign of his trust in her.

Katherine Madigan was a bit of a mystery to Domino; much about the woman's previous history had been locked down by Quincy himself. That she was trusted, as much as was possible, by Quincy was obvious.

Brian had not given the woman much thought when he had known her, a minor player. Domino thought of her as a major player. She respected the woman's talents and was a little intimidated by her, but she hid that. Ultimately Madigan was her biggest rival. Everyone else Domino knew she could deal with, but not Madigan, not yet at least.

"I wish to speak with you about the current tensions that exist between us and Hou Bang."

Quincy said nothing, he only nodded.

"I think we should work out a cease fire, as soon as we can."

"Has the attempt on your life cost you your courage Odotte-san?" Madigan asked.

Domino kept herself from reacting to those words. She turned to look at Madigan. "If we have to fight, I'll fight. If we don't, I'd rather important resources were not wasted."

"But Hou Bang wants this fight. They keep attacking us," Quincy said.

"Which does not make sense. There is more going on here than we know. The only way to find out what it is, is to speak with Hou Bang."

Quincy nodded. "Madigan-kun has also suggested such a course of action to me," Quincy told Domino.

Domino was careful to hide her surprise. She had been set up. Another test. At least it looked as if she had passed.

"I will get in touch with Mr. Chang," Quincy said. "After that, I leave it to you two to arrange everything."

Domino bowed, then turned, recognising the dismissal for what it was. She was surprised to note that Madigan was also leaving the room. Perhaps she was not quite as high as Domino had thought.

"How do you want to handle this?" Kate asked Domino after they had left Quincy's office.

"They'll want a meeting. I'll handle that."

Kate nodded. "Agreed. I'll get Genom ready to take advantage of anything that is offered us."

"Have you considered the assassination attempts?" Domino asked.

"Yes," Kate said as she pressed the call button for the elevators. The doors opened immediately. "They knew who to go after." She stepped into the elevator.

"That is what worries me most about it all." Domino entered the car.

Kate reached out and pressed the button to close the doors. She did not press a floor button. "Did you hear that someone tried to assassinate Reika Chang?"

"No," Domino admitted.

Kate smiled ever so slightly, she had won a point on that. "Did you order it?"

"No."

Kate nodded. "I did not. That only leaves two or three others that could have done it without my knowing."

Domino nodded. "I see. A third party then."

"Makes sense."

"'Who?' is the question now."

"That is one of the things we have to find out." Kate reached out and pressed the button for their floor.

"We'll do our best," Domino said.

Kate nodded.

* * *

**San Francisco, Chang Estate, February 9, 02:23**

Shouki Chang was woken up by the sound of his door opening.

"Mr. Chang," his secretary said. "Quincy is on line one."

"Thank you," Shouki said. He took a few deep breaths, to clear his head, to make sure he was fully awake, then moved his wheel chair over to the phone. He picked it up. "This is Chang," he said.

"Chang-san," Quincy's rich voice seemed to roll out of the phone. "The time for this pointless fighting is over. Call off your people. I have already done so with mine."

"Of course," Shouki said.

"We'll arrange for negotiations soon. I'm sure your people can handle that. Goodbye." There was a click.

Shouki put the handset back in the cradle. He looked up at his secretary. "Inform all members that all actions against Genom are to cease right now. We are in a state of truce."

"Yes sir," his secretary said.

Shouki felt tired. He always felt tired now. When he had been younger he might have felt victorious about the fact that Quincy had called him. Not any longer. Quincy had the strength to simply end the war. He could tell his people to stop, and they would. It had been sometime since Shouki had had the strength and certainty to do that.

Too many of his people would argue with him if he tried to just end it without a truce from Genom first. They still respected him, but they were all vying for position with each other. It made things difficult. He needed a successor, and he needed one soon.

* * *

Reika was sitting on the couch, staring out the window when Kou came in.

"I just got a message from your Grandfather," Kou said.

"What?" Reika turned to look at him.

"It's over, for now."

Reika nodded.

"Genom wants to talk with us, and we want to talk with them. He asked me to ask you if you will meet their representative."

"Me?"

"Yes. He thinks you will do a good job."

"I see. Of course I'll do it."

"This won't be easy." Kou walked across the room and took a seat across from her. "I'll help you in what ways I can."

"You make it sound dangerous."

"It is. Not physically, though that is always a possibility. You can give away more than you know if you are not careful. Information is very valuable."

"I understand." Reika was silent for a moment. "Kou, how are we different from Genom?"

Kou said nothing at first. "We're not," he told her. "We do what we do to protect those we care about and those that we have promised to protect. Perhaps Genom's reasons are more selfish, and if so, that is your difference."

"But it might not be."

"No."

Reika sighed and lay back on the couch. "I'm so tired."

"Then sleep."

"I feel too worked up to sleep. A little frightened perhaps."

"I'll be here, I'll watch. There's nowhere safer."

Reika stared at the ceiling for several minutes. Kou leaned back in the chair, watching her without staring.

"Kou?"

"Yes."

"When Irene turned four and was moved out of the nursery she wanted to share a room with me."

"And you didn't want her to?"

"No, I was happy to share a room with my baby sister. Sometimes she couldn't get to sleep though and would ask me to stay up and watch her."

"Sounds like Irene," he said softly, remembering the child that Irene would always be to him.

"I did, and I tried to stay awake but soon after she fell asleep I did too. In the morning she would always get up before I did and be upset that I had not been able to stay awake."

"I won't go to sleep Reika."

She said nothing else and Kou did not try to start the conversation up again. Some time later her breathing steadied into that of one asleep.

* * *

**Tokyo, February 9, 12:13**

"I need all the information we have to date on the buy out of Tanech," Domino called out as she entered the outer office of her office suite. "I need D-san to be here, as soon as possible. I need the Gendyne Bionetics update on my desk now. Tetsu-kun," she looked over at the young woman.

"Hai Odotte-sama?"

"I was supposed to have lunch with General Hashida today at two. Call him up and tell him that I have to cancel. If he asks why put him directly through to me," she said as she walked towards her office.

"Hai, I will."

"Good." Domino thought to add something, but decided not to. She had chosen her Office Ladies personally. Each one had the potential to do the job. She'd let them do it. Those that were not up to it she'd replace.

* * *

Sylia sat in her computer room, looking over all the data that was coming in. Something was happening between Hou Bang and Genom, though she had known that for several days. Why it was happening was what she wanted to know.

On the surface it looked as if Genom had started it and was continuing it, but that made little sense. It was not the Zaibatsu's style. So what was happening? She looked over her latest reports concerning MRAStech. The company was doing very well, Genom was taking a very light hand with its new acquisition. They had even made sure that the boomers found in Miyagi were traced back to Dr. Knight.

Very nice, Sylia thought.

She turned her attention to the information on Aphros Industries, out of curiosity mostly. Few if any changes, though they were under some scrutiny over the Knight Incident. Sharon Knight had been found dead in Korea, heroin overdose. Sylia was fairly certain that Genom had arranged it, though it would probably be difficult to prove. And then there were the boomers that Sharon had owned, and what they had been doing in a destroyed ski lodge in Miyagi.

The company would no doubt come out of it without too many problems, once it was all over. Ultimately it would be a great embarrassment, but Aphros Industries would survive.

Why had they hired Sharon Knight? Who had known what she was really working on? Was Aphros Industries on the whole the problem, or only a small part of it? What would Genom do about it?

And where would the conflict between Hou Bang and Genom go? If things began to heat up she might have to get ready to act.

She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the many screens, looking at it all, taking in the big picture, as it were. She stared at the data that flashed across her screens. Always so much happening. If she could just learn to read the patterns that she knew were there, then she might truly learn something.

* * *

**Honolulu, February 10, 14:36 Local Time**

The small landing fields were almost on the opposite side of the island of Honolulu from each other.

Two private jets had landed at them within minutes of each other. One was a Lear Silver Cloud, the other a Kyuusei Needle, a civilian version of an electronics warfare plane.

Limousines had met the craft, had taken the occupants to the Hilton, almost an equal distance from both of the fields.

Reika entered the lobby, Kou, her shadow, a step behind her. Taking her sunglasses off she looked around, making the visual search of the room look casual.

Kou did not say anything as she made for the elevators, he had obviously decided it was safe.

Almost as soon as she pressed the call button the doors slid open. Reika hesitated for a moment then stepped inside. Once Kou had entered she pressed the button for the top floor.

Her fingers were interwoven, she twisted them back and forth, shifting her weight slightly from side to side.

Kou reached out and hit the stop button. A soft chime sounded, alerting the occupants that the cab had come to a stop.

"If you don't want to do this I can have Daniels in here soon enough," He told her.

"I have to do this."

"Reika, you don't have to do anything."

"Grandfather..."

"Your grandfather does not want you to tear yourself apart trying to be something you aren't."

"Do you think I can't do it?" she demanded.

"You can, if you want to. If you don't, give up now."

"That is not an option. I'm going through with it." She pulled her hands apart and forced them to her side, schooling herself to stillness. It would not do to fidget.

Kou released the stop button and the elevator continued to the restaurant on the top floor.

The doors opened to an almost empty room. It was decorated in pastels with a number of plants lining the picture windows that looked out over the city. The carpet was light green, the tables and chairs wicker.

The restaurant had been closed all day. Both Genom and Hou Bang security personnel had swept the room. It was safe. As safe as it could be.

Sitting at a two-person table near the centre of the room was a beautiful, young woman-Domino Odotte, the liaison Genom had sent, Reika's counterpart.

Standing behind her, a step to the left, was her bodyguard, D. Most likely a boomer. Yet another worry, Reika thought as she crossed the room.

There was a subtle power game occurring, Kou had warned her about it. She realised the first part was the table Odotte had chosen. Only two chairs. That meant both Kou and D would have to stand, like servants. It was likely that Odotte had known how close she was to Kou and was playing on it.

Even though she was aware of it she could not help but feel a flare of anger. Treating Kou like that, just because she cared for him.

"Odotte-san." Reika nodded.

"Chang-san." Domino dipped her head in what might be considered a bow. "Please, have a seat." She waited until Reika was beginning to sit. "I'm looking forward to the release of your next album."

Reika dropped into the chair, surprised. Not that it would be that hard for anyone to make the connection between Reika Chang and Vision, once they had seen her. Still, it unbalanced her slightly.

"You're looking very well for a dead person," Reika said, using the one piece of information Kou had been able to dig up on the woman. She was not the real Domino Odotte, though according to all the records that mattered, she was.

He had told her to play it at the right moment, work it naturally into conversation, unbalance her opponent and see what she could find out. She had failed to do all of it. Domino shrugged her shoulders slightly and let it pass.

"I believe you are aware Genom has suffered a great amount of damage over the past few days, as has your company," Domino said.

"Yes, the initial line of thought was that your company was behind it."

"We entertained similar thoughts about your company."

"But not any more?" Reika asked.

"No. Whoever was behind this did make use of Kyuusei equipment though, as well as equipment made by other corporations within the Hou Bang fold. Your A3s played an important part in some attacks. I'm sure you're familiar with them."

"The basics." Did she know?

"Thirteen were stolen all together. Two have been accounted for. Where are the other eleven?" Domino's voice took on a demanding tone and Reika pulled back ever so slightly.

"We, we are still..."

"You don't know."

"Do you?" Anger creeping into her voice.

"No. They were not our property or responsibility though. An attempt was made to steal a cargo of Genom combat boomers a week ago. If the events are related you should be glad Genom's security is superior. Who knows how extreme your losses would have been if they had been used against you."

"Is there a point to this?"

"Genom does not hold the Chang Group responsible for what happened. Someone else is behind this, it seems likely they hoped we would be at each other's throats."

"Agreed. Hou Bang is of the opinion that Genom is not responsible, in the end, either."

"None of your people had anything to do with the attack on the Genom Centre in Toronto then?"

"No. That is what started it?"

"So it seems." Domino reached inside her jacket and slowly removed a disk. Kou relaxed once he saw it was not a weapon; D was able to do the same once Kou relaxed. "All the information we have so far concerning that attack. It might be of use to you."

"Thank you," Reika said as she took the disk.

"Genom has called off all actions against Hou Bang. You have done the same?"

"Yes."

"Good. I would like to propose that we work together and share information in an attempt to find out who was behind this and then to destroy them."

"Such an arrangement is acceptable to Hou Bang," Reika said, though she did not like the way that Domino had said 'destroy'.

"Good. This has been bad for profits all around. I will be working with you, or whomever you decide on as your liaison.

"Acceptable."

"There is more though."

"And what would that be?"

"You lost another piece of important equipment."

"That would be?" Reika hid any nervousness from her voice. They could not know, it was a bluff.

"A canister containing a rather powerful blood agent. Enough to kill a few hundred thousand people, if released in the right place."

"Obviously an unsubstantiated rumour."

"Do not lie to me Chang-san. I'm aware that the company that created it is a bit of a loose cannon in the Hou Bang fold, but it is still your problem. We'd like to know that you are going to deal with it."

Reika said nothing for a moment. "If this blood agent did exist, what would you want from us?"

"How about we start easy. Its present location."

"We don't know," Reika admitted, coming clean. She hoped Genom had really known about it. If she had just proven what they had only suspected she would be a fool indeed.

"Do you suspect?"

Reika looked down at the table. "We traced a possible lead to a smuggler named John Namara. He specialises in Japan."

Domino nodded. "We have heard much the same. Chang-san, a deadly weapon that Hou Bang had a part in creating is now likely in Japan. What do you plan to do about that?"

"What would you have us do?"

"I would have you find this weapon and ensure it is not used. If it were used in Tokyo, for an example, do you know how many people would die?"

Reika repressed a shudder. "It would depend on where in the city it was released. Death from the agent itself would be around three hundred thousand, and then due to panic, and other related problems, that would go up by another twenty thousand."

"If such a thing were to happen, Genom would reveal your culpability in the affair."

"I understand. There is little to worry about though. The agent is stored in two parts, they have to be mixed together in the correct proportions for maximum effect." Reika pulled a disk from her pocket, the action so fast that D almost drew her own weapon, causing Kou to almost draw his. Domino watched it with an amused smile. Reika flushed slightly as she handed Domino the disk. "That contains the plans for the storage canister," she told her. "It was designed to keep it from being used in a situation such as this."

"Assuming that the people who stole it do not have the codes, or cannot break them, or have not discovered a way to bypass the physical security."

"That canister is the latest design. The security on it will not be foiled easily," Reika told her. "We will retrieve it of course, you need not worry."

"Your assurances make me feel much better," Domino said in a tone of voice that skirted sarcasm without actually being sarcastic.

"I'm very happy to have relieved you," Reika told her.

"Is there anything you might need from Genom? It is in our best interest to ensure this weapon is found."

"Other than any co-operation you might give our people while they are in Japan."

"Of course. Just make sure that we have their names and current pictures. That way no mistakes will be made."

"I'll get that to your people as soon as I can."

"Good. We'll be glad to be of assistance."

"Thank you," Reika said coolly.

"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Domino asked.

"No. Thank you."

"I'm sure I will be seeing you." Domino got to her feet. "I will be returning to Japan, you should be able to reach me at any time."

"I think I may set up a command post in Tokyo, since you seem to think that the weapon may be used there."

"It is as good a place as any. Good day Chang-san." Domino made her way to the elevator, D a step behind her. She stopped just in front of the elevator doors, turned slightly looking over her shoulder. "I do hope that the city does not hold too many unpleasant memories for you." Domino's voice held a note of concern.

"What do you mean?" Reika turned in her chair to face her.

"Your sister, it was an unfortunate accident. I believe her fiancé was a Genom employee. My belated condolences." She reached out and pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Thank you." Reika's voice was now like ice.

"Goodbye." Domino and D entered the elevator. A moment later they were gone.

"Damn her." Reika slammed her fist against the table.

"Calm down." Kou walked around the table and took the seat across from her.

"I screwed up, didn't I?"

"It could have been worse. Miss Odotte is a dangerous opponent. Daniels would not have fared much better."

"She does not know where the agent is either."

"No, and she, so we can assume Genom as well, is worried about it."

"They want to find out about our special forces," Reika said.

"We will have to use them, we already knew that."

"Genom knows it as well. They will be watching, they will be learning. They even want me to give them a list of our people!"

"There is little we can do about it. We may have no choice."

"How long to completely overhaul the system? SOPs, codes, equipment, personnel, everything?"

"Two years," Kou told her.

"So for two years we are at a disadvantage. While our people are trying to find out where that damn canister is Genom's people will be watching us."

"So it appears."

"If we tell our people to keep to the shadows as much as possible it will limit their effectiveness. If a product of ours is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of we will be destroyed." Reika went quiet. "I'm scared Kou. I don't think I could live with myself if that happened."

"It won't happen. We will make sure of that."

"I think I will have to make use of some contacts in MegaTokyo," Reika said softly.

* * *

"What do you think of the young Chang-san?" Domino asked D. They sat in the limousine's passenger compartment.

"Inexperienced," D said.

"But she shows promise."

"Perhaps."

"That young lady, once she has gained some experience, could be an annoyance on the scale of her grandfather."

"And as his direct heir the trust his people have in him may transfer to her."

"Yes." Domino stared up at the ceiling of the car. "We will do our best to break her spirit over the course of this crisis. It serves our interests if Reika Chang puts business behind her and goes back to singing."

"You are going to be extremely cruel to this young woman aren't you?"

"I can't, 'kill her with kindness', as you might put it."

D nodded.

"Are we ready to take advantage of Hou Bang's problems?"

"As ready as we can be. Of course they are not the only ones that have to deal with problems. They will scramble more of their special forces teams to deal with this problem..."

"And we will watch them and learn," Domino finished for her. "That of course is the easy part. We have to decide how to use the information we get. Hou Bang has always been a tightly held concern. Anything we can use to pry it apart will be of use to us."

"We will have to use any such information quickly, at best we will have a three month window of opportunity."

"In three months we can make gains that will bring Genom years of benefit."

"It is unfortunate we cannot take the entire group that is Hou Bang over," D said, echoing Domino's thoughts.

"If we attempt to overreach ourselves we may fail entirely. We tread a fine line in this."

"What if Genom becomes too busy dealing with damage control?"

"That would be a very unfortunate thing, which is why we have to ensure that it does not happen," Domino told her.

"Of course."

"Someone has tried to put Genom and Hou Bang at each other's throats. It makes sense of course, we are the biggest players."

"Who?" D asked.

"There are a number of possibilities. Other corporations. Governments. Small groups that might have something against either or both companies. They would just have to be very smart."

"They made a mistake in assuming that we would not talk to Hou Bang."

"True, but an almost understandable one. There is a lot of tension between the two organisations at this point. I'm trying to decide who might benefit the most from this. Unfortunately there are too many possibilities, including that it might be an inside job."

"Someone within Genom?" D asked.

"Maybe, but doubtful. There are only a few individuals within Genom who could manage something like this and I'm one of them. Only Quincy could manage all of this without me being aware of something."

"And you don't think he is?"

"No, but he could be."

"And if we are to find out?"

"We forget," Domino told her.

"I see."

"Still, an inside source is something to consider. Not pulling the strings though, but supplying information."

"The six executives chosen as targets?"

"Yes. Half of Genom's upper echelon are minor, easily replaced players. The six chosen were all ones who are among those who wield true power and who replacing would and will be difficult. That they chose them does suggest inside knowledge."

"Or an excellent understanding of the Genom power structure," D suggested.

"I'll have to talk to Madigan about this, as well as Sousuke. I want you to look for possible leaks."

"I understand."

"If we get a chance during this operation to kill Chang or his granddaughter and make it look like someone else did it, we will have to do so."

"I'll start drafting plans."

"Do we still own that relation of theirs?" Domino asked.

"Yes, though I doubt she'd be willing to kill and I do not know how close she could get. The blood tie is tenuous at best."

"It's still a possible lever, I'll leave that part of the operation up to you."

"I'll start immediately," D said.

"Also, Gendyne Bionetics has finally crashed."

"I suspect Hendle-san and Saunders-san will be upset about that."

"Yes. I suspect that Saunders-san will get very loud about this. It is her way, but she is not a threat. Hendle-san may be a problem. He's been known to take these things very personally, and he is not above ordering reprisals."

"He will not succeed if he tries," D said with a sense of finality.

"Yes, I know. If he does try something though, I will retaliate."

"I will be ready if that is necessary."

Domino nodded as she leaned back in the seat, steepling her fingers, resting her chin on her thumbs.

She had much to think on.

* * *

_"The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man. Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate. In Bushido, if one uses discrimination, he will fall behind. One needs neither loyalty nor devotion, but simply become desperate in Bushido. Loyalty and devotion are of themselves within desperation"  
_- **Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	9. Flash Powder 3

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 3 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1998;1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

February 11th, 07:43, Tokyo

Nene yawned deeply as she settled into her seat in the Green Car. Outside of the train, on the platform, people were milling about, saying their goodbyes to friends, or waiting for trains. Nene closed her eyes, stretching out her legs. The Maglev Shinkansen would be leaving Shinjuku in a few minutes. It would make one stop at the Central Tokyo Station and one more at Ueno and then it would be a straight run to Sendai station. The trip would take a little under an hour.

Around her she listened to people as they moved about, taking their seats. Most of the passengers in the first class car would be business people. Many of them would be Genom employees.

The Green Car was a bit of a luxury, but Nene could afford it, thanks to the fact she was not paying for rent. One of the bonuses of living with her parents, her paycheque was all disposable income. She did not even have to save any, not with her income from the Knight Sabers being invested for her by Sylia.

There was a soft chime, followed by a pleasant melody. A computer voice-not that one could tell-made an announcement, welcoming them on board the Tohoku ML Shinkansen, with stops at Sendai, Morioka, Hachinohe, Aomori and finally Hakodate. It was an express, avoiding all the stops in the little towns and cities that lined the Tohoku line.

The train began moving, the gentle, almost unnoticeable acceleration that was the hallmark of the MagLevs. Nene napped until she was woken by the pleasant computer voice telling her that they had arrived at the Central Tokyo Station.

She listened to the people coming aboard, taking their seats, talking to acquaintances. Then the train was moving again. Nene's nap was once more interrupted as the train stopped at Ueno. When they left Ueno Nene managed to get some real sleep, until the train conductor woke her to check her ticket.

Nene sighed as she put the ticket back in her jacket pocket. She looked at her watch. It would be about twenty minutes before they reached Sendai. She sat up in her seat, giving up on the notion of sleep.

Leon had kept her busy the day before, making her stay late so she could do all the computer searches he wanted. Corporate accidents, deaths of personnel of certain companies, all that sort of thing. It was obvious that something was going on, so much so that it was certain that Leon knew that, but he wanted her to do the work.

It had been her fault really. When he had asked her to do the work she had told him that she was taking a few days off so only would be able help him that day. When he had heard that he had made her stay late and get as much work done as possible.

If that had not been bad enough, she had got in trouble with Harrison-buchou for not doing her work. Leon had not actually received permission for her to help him, mainly because he did not have permission. She had shared being yelled at by the Chief with him.

"That Leon is an idiot," she said softly. She looked out the window, seeing the scenery flash by. They had long since left the city behind and were now passing through farmland. The flat land, stretching out around her until it reached mountains. The rice fields were bare, only the stubble of cut rice shoots remaining.

Every now and then they would flash by a billboard, put out in the middle of some farmer's field. The towns and small cities they passed through flashed by almost as fast. The tracks were raised into the air on concrete pillars and nothing impeded the train as it sped along.

Nene got up and walked towards the front end of the car. She passed through the doors into the area between cars. There, beside two phones, was a vending machine. She took a debit card from her pocket and ran it through the card reader then selected a can of coffee.

By the time she returned to her seat the train was beginning to slow as it approached Sendai. Nene gulped the hot coffee down, burning her tongue in the process, then grabbed her overnight bag from the rack above her seat.

She walked towards the end of the car, moving slowly so she did not hit anyone else who was getting up. The train's voice told everyone that they would be stopping in Sendai station for five minutes before going on. It also reminded everyone to check to make sure they had left nothing behind.

Nene was standing by the sliding doors when the train came to a stop. The doors slid open and Nene stepped out, just in front of two salarymen who were in a rush. She stepped to the side to let them go by.

The platform was fairly busy, and Nene had to dodge about as she walked through the people towards the escalator. She almost bumped into one of a group of young men. One of them apologised; another asked her if she wanted to go for a tea. Nene laughed and declined the offer. She doubted he had been serious, seeing as he and his friends were obviously on their way somewhere. She was flattered anyway. The young man was rather handsome. Of course he was about seventeen. What did that say about her?

As she stood on the escalator, letting it take her down, she looked at her reflection in the shiny metal. She was certainly cute, but it was a mature cuteness, wasn't it? Could one be cute and mature? Her smile faded a little as she realised that one could not be cute and mature. She sighed as she got off the escalator.

Her minor fit of depression lasted only a moment, there were worse things to happen then having a seventeen year old trying to pick you up.

She soon passed through the gates, putting her ticket through the ticket reader. The gates opened, letting her pass through into the main station. She moved out of the way of the other people who were exiting the platform area.

She stood on a wide platform, off to her left a set of escalators led to the main floor. Far to her left were a set of stairs, also leading down. She looked about, then saw, waiting almost directly underneath her, Yukiko.

Nene moved off towards the escalators, fighting off the urge to push through people. That would be rude. She did mutter unflattering things under her breath though. That was also rude, but no one would notice.

Yukiko spotted Nene on the escalator and had moved to the bottom of it to wait for her.

"Yu-chan!" Nene called when she reached the floor.

"Chibi Ne-chan!" Yukiko called as she moved in close to hug Nene. People passed about them, giving them little attention. Reunions like that were not all that uncommon in the big station.

"It's been so, so, sooo long," Yukiko said.

"I know, I know," Nene said happily. "But don't call me 'Chibi Ne-chan' Yu-chan!"

Yukiko laughed. "But I can't call you Ne-chan, you are too immature to be an older sister."

"You big meanie," Nene said.

"Ah, Keiko said you would say that"  
"What?"

"We had a pool you see," Yukiko explained as she walked towards the large glass doors that led out of the station. "Kate said you would cry. I said you would act mature about the whole thing." She shook her head. "They gave me odds on that. If you had acted mature I could have bought a car."

"That's a big lie!"

Yukiko smiled. "Maybe"  
"Yu-chan, you're all very mean," Nene said.

"Hai, hai," Yukiko said in a bored tone. "You are such a child at times."

"Hai, Nene-chan terribly childish," Nene said in a flat tone as they exited the station.

Yukiko laughed. "What do you want to do now? The others won't be able to meet us till around four."

"I want to go to a toy store," Nene said in the same flat tone.

Yukiko laughed again. "Stop sulking. What do you want to do? We've got the entire day. I'm skipping classes for you."

Nene smiled. "Actually, I was thinking about visiting the school."

"Really?"

"I thought it might be fun."

"Well, looks like it is back to the trains," Yukiko turned around.

Nene reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Chotto matte(Wait)," she said. Yukiko looked over her shoulder at Nene. "I'll pay for a taxi."

"Being a police officer must pay well."

"I'm a valuable employee, well worth what I get."

"If that were true I think you would get nothing," Yukiko said, smiling.

"Shut up," Nene said with no real anger.

"Well, if you are paying," she started towards the stairs that would take them down to the taxi area.

Underneath the raised walkways in front of the stations were a number of bus platforms, as well the taxi stands. The cars were parked along the road in a long line. Yukiko walked towards the first in line. When she got close the rear door opened for her and Nene.

Yukiko got in, then slid across the seat to make space for Nene. "Nodamachi," Yukiko said.

The driver nodded and closed the rear door after Nene had got in. He checked to the side, then accelerated away from the taxi line, circling around to the main road.

"So Nene-chan, why have you taken so long to get in touch with me?"

"Well," Nene said, "I've been busy..." she trailed off.

"With your job, or was it the running away?"

"I guess a little of both."

"You really should have stayed in touch." Yukiko shook her head. She sounded a little disappointed.

"I was hiding out," Nene said, defending herself. "Did you expect me to send letters to you and keep in touch?"

"Yes I did. Did you think we would have told on you?"

"Yes," Nene nodded, and looked down at her feet. "Not because you are not my friends, or did not care about me feelings, but because you would have been worried about me."

"We were worried about you as it was. It was not very nice of you to just leave like that."

"You could have mentioned this in your letters, or on the phone."

"Then you might have stopped talking to me. I wanted to wait before I brought this up."

"So I could not run away?

Yukiko nodded.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt you, or the others, or my parents, but I had to go."

Yukiko shook her head but she was smiling slightly. "I could never understand you. Always acting so careful but at the same time just taking all kinds of risks. Weren't you afraid, just running off to Tokyo like that?"

"A little."

"We all thought you'd be killed, or worse."

"Well, I wasn't, and the 'worse' never happened."

"Good thing. You know, your mother was very worried."

"I'm not surprised."

"This was beyond her normal worry Nene-chan. Up until you got back in touch with her, she visited me everyday to ask if I had heard from you."

Nene closed her eyes, "Shiranakatta(I didn't know)," she said.

"It was very immature of you."

Nene lifted her head and looked at Yukiko. There were unshed tears in her eyes. "Why are you saying this?"

"Because I have to. The others agreed we had to bring it up if we were to remain friends. It was agreed that I would do it."

"I'm sorry. I had to leave. I was afraid... Afraid..." Nene closed her eyes and dropped her head.

In the front seat the cab driver watched what was going on in his rear-view mirror. He looked uncomfortable. He hoped that the back seat of his cab was not about to host some major scene.

Yukiko put her arm across Nene's shoulders and leaned close. "Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of losing something of myself," Nene said softly. "All the pressures, my parents, the school, I did not know what I wanted. If I had stayed, I might have gotten lost."

"Nene-chan, that's sad."

Nene nodded.

"It's okay," Yukiko said. "We just wanted to know why, and wanted you to know how we felt. It's okay."

Nene looked up at Yukiko. "I'm sorry," she said.

Yukiko smiled and handed Nene a handkerchief. Nene took it and dabbed at her eyes.

"So Chibi Ne-chan, why do you want to go back to Sakura?"

"I'm not sure," Nene said as she handed Yukiko back her handkerchief. "I guess I just started feeling nostalgic. It's been some time."

Yukiko leaned back in the seat. "First you run away from it, now you come back. Your mother was right, you are very flaky."

Nene frowned slightly. "She said the same thing about you."

"Yes, but I proved her wrong didn't I? I was responsible and finished school and went to university. Unlike Nene-ojouchan," she said in a superior way.

"Ojouchan!" Nene's tone was cold.

"Hai. Chibi Nene-ojouchan."

Nene suddenly smiled, her eyes narrowing. "But aren't you skipping out on University?" Nene asked, certain she could take the high ground.

"Of course. That's what university is for. Also, I could not let Nene-ojouchan be alone in Sendai could I? Yukiko-oneesan will take care of you."

"Idiot," Nene said.

Yukiko laughed.

* * *

The cab dropped them off by the front gates. Sakura Senior Girls High School was a large building, one with a long history and a list of prestigious graduates. It was a private school, over a hundred years old. According to school history it had been rebuilt twice, the latest time after a fire in 2011.

Nene paid the driver and then turned around to look at the school. Not far away she saw a group of students sitting under one of the big trees, sketch pads and paper around them. Far off she could just make out the track, and the students training on it. She doubted they were training too hard, not at this time of year.

While there were no official classes on Saturdays, not any longer, there were still clubs, and it was a good time for review work. The end effect was that the school was busy even on a Saturday.

"Come on," Yukiko said, starting along the gravel walkway.

"Have you been back here since graduating?" Nene asked her.

"All the time," Yukiko told her. "About once every two months. I get a chance to say hello to the teachers and visit some of my kouhai(juniors)."

"So you're a good senpai," Nene said.

"Of course."

As they walked along the path Nene looked around, becoming lost in her memories.

"Glad to be back?" Yukiko asked her.

"I'm not sure," Nene shook her head. "This is where everything started to get tough. My parents..."

"I never really thought that your parents were that bad."

"You weren't their daughter, not that that ever stopped them from giving you advice every now and then." Nene smiled at Yukiko.

"Especially your kaasan."

"Kaasan can not stand anyone, especially women, who did not reach their full potential. Do you know she told me to stop hanging around with Arisa-chan just because she thought Arisa would never amount to anything?"

"She never did. And you stopped spending time with her."

"I never said my mother had been wrong. Just that she need not have been so heavy handed about it. Do you remember when we used to eat lunch, just over there under that cherry tree?" Nene asked, switching subjects.

"How could I forget. You always stole Keiko's nori-giri."

"She never wanted them."

"I guess."

Yukiko looked around. "The year is almost over."

"What?" Nene asked.

"The school year is almost over. The third years will graduate soon. The girls from the Junior High will come here, the third year class will dissolve, moving onto university."

"I wonder how they feel about it?"

"Same way we all do. Happiness, sadness all sort of mixed together in an odd way. One part of your life is over, a new part is beginning." Yukiko had stopped and was looking around

"How was the third year?"

"Hell," Yukiko said flatly. "And it was sad. Fumi-chan had to quit her taiko group to study after summer break. I think it sort of killed a little part of her. She never laughed the same way after that. Still, being a third year student had its moments, just like we always knew it would. And you did miss a great trip to Vancouver."

"I almost wish I had stayed."

"I'm almost glad you didn't," Yukiko said softly as she started walking again.

"Why?"

"You still have that spark I think the rest of us have lost." Yukiko shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "They never had a chance to crush it out of you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't change Nene-chan," Yukiko said as she began circling around the school towards the teacher's and guest entrance.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you still sneak deserts and then lament about needing to go on diets?"

"Maybe."

"Cover your eyes during the scary parts of slasher flicks?"

"Sometimes."

"Prone to breaking into tears when you get teased?"

"Is that what you're trying to accomplish now?"

"What I'm trying to say is that you still have that spark from, well from childhood if you will. I don't, not any longer, that's what third year does."

"I'm not a child."

"I know, though at times you act like it."

"Meanie," Nene and Yukiko said together.

Nene began to laugh.

"Come on," Yukiko increased her pace. They soon entered the school and exchanged their shoes for guest slippers.

"I think we should go to the teacher's office first," Yukiko said. She turned left and started walking towards the stairs. Then she noticed that Nene was no longer beside her. She turned and ran after the redhead who was going the other way down the hallway. "Nene what's up?"

"Just want to check out something."

"What? Oh, the computer lab. It's not down here any longer."

"What?"

"They moved it upstairs, beside the library the summer right after you left. Put in a whole new system."

"Oh sure, I miss all the good things," she said to herself, then, "right." Nene turned and walked back the way she had come.

"It's faster if we continue down this way," Yukiko told her, pointing the way Nene had been going.

"But I want to use the south stairs."

"Of course." Yukiko smiled. "Ojouchan," she said softly.

The south stairs had been for third year students only, an unwritten code of the school. At the top of the flight of stairs, on the fourth floor, were the third year classrooms. On the second floor they let out directly in front of the teacher's office and on the ground floor it was near the students' entrance. All in all, for getting around the school, the south stairs were just a little faster, which was why the third year's of some alumni class had claimed them as their own.

Of course every now and then a first or second year student would dare to use the stairs. Yukiko remembered how she and some other girls had dared Nene to do just that when they were first year students.

She had been caught, as Yukiko and the others had planned. It had been cruel but fun. The third year students were not impressed and had made it quite clear that no students but they were to use those stairs. Nene had not been able to sit comfortably for a few hours after that.

She had not dared the stairs again after that.

Yukiko followed Nene up the stairs, laughing softly at the pose Nene took, no doubt unconsciously, as they walked up the stairs. She belonged on those stairs and no one had better question it. Nene had never officially been a third year student, but there had been no doubt that she was going to be one.

They passed the second floor and climbed up to the third. There they walked down the hall, passing the five first year student classrooms. There was some noise coming from the rooms, but probably not as much as they might hear from the classrooms of the upper years. The closer one got to entrance exams, the busier their Saturdays tended to be.

Farther down they passed an audio-visual room, then a lab, a lounge and a storage room. They turned right just past the stairs that Yukiko had suggested they use, into another hallway. The school was fairly large, having more room than most schools with comparable student populations. It was the lounges, rehearsal rooms, and labs that gave it the extra size. Nene remembered how all those extras irked her every day when it came to cleaning.

The two walked by the library, which sounded busy, and then stopped in front of the door to the computer lab.

"Want to go in?" Yukiko asked.

"No, I'll just peek in, see what they have done."

"Afraid they have defiled your shrine?"

Nene thought about that for a moment, then nodded. She slid the door open just slightly so she could peek in. From her rather limited view everything looked all right.

"Yasui-Senpai," some one said, rather loudly.

Nene started forward, banging her head, loudly, into the door. "Itai(ouch)," she said.

Yukiko had turned towards the voice. "If it isn't Nagane-kun, it's been a while," she said.

Mei Nagane nodded, smiling.

"Nene-chan, this is Nagane Mei-kun," Yukiko told her. "She's a third year now, shortly before you left she was a third year in the Junior High."

Nene looked at the young woman. She wore the same uniform as everyone else. She had long black hair and brown eyes, and was attractive, though not exceptionally so-not like Sylia, Nene thought. On her uniform she wore a Roman numeral 'III' pin and next to that her class pin, 3-A.

"Nagane-san, as you no doubt know, this is Romanova Nene-chan," Yukiko said with a wicked smile at Nene. "Nagane-kun is a member of the club."

"Leader actually," Mei said, looking at Nene. There was something challenging in her stance.

"This year?" Nene asked her.

Mei nodded.

"I took over half way though my first year."

"You were one of the best," Mei admitted in an offhanded sort of way.

"Were?"

"Everyone loses their edge," she trailed off for a moment, then added, "Romanova-kun.

"Not me, Nagane-chan," Nene said confidently.

"Prove it."

"Wait a minute," Yukiko interrupted. "Let's not do anything rash."

"This hardly counts as rash," Nene said. She knew rash. She had worked with Priss Asagiri after all.

Yukiko shook her head. "Always acts so careful, but will throw all that way in a moment. Well, let's go then."

Nagane opened the door for them, letting both of them enter first. They were greeted with calls of, "Yasui-senpai,what a surprise", and "Nagane-senpai, konichiwa", and a few others.

Both Mei and Yukiko acknowledged the greetings, then Mei led Nene over to one of the computers.

"Same challenge as the old days Nagane-chan?" Nene asked.

"Hai, Romanova-chan."

Nene smiled as she sat down. A crowd began to form around them. To Nene it suddenly felt like no time had passed since she had run away. "How fast did you do it Nagane-chan?"

"Straight hack? Twenty minutes."

"Wow," Nene said with a touch of sarcasm.

A few of the girls muttered darkly. Mei was their leader, in so much as they had one. Nene, most of them had not heard of, and none had ever met. To the few that had heard of her, she was just some student who had run away from home.

Nene reached into her pocket and removed her NAVI. She flipped it open and placed it beside the computer.

"What is that?" Mei asked.

"A NAVI. I'm sure you have heard of them."

"Well, since you aren't going to make a call, what is it out for?"

Nene smiled up at her. "It's my katana. Don't worry, the programs are all mine, and I rebuilt it myself."

"I guess it is all right," Mei said. "If you rebuilt it yourself."

Nene shook her head, smiling all the time. She pulled a set of leads from her jacket pocket. "Yu-chan, time me."

Yukiko held up her watch and looked at Nene. "Say when."

"Go," Nene said. She turned to computer on and plugged the NAVI into it. As soon as the computer had booted up she went to work. First she had to see what she had to work with.

When Nene had been in school she had officially been part of the tennis team. Unofficially she had been part of, and eventually the president of, a supposedly non-existent club. A group of young women who liked gaining access to computer systems they had no right to have access to. It had been fun.

Not that any of them had ever done anything illegal, or had planned to. It was more of the thrill and the challenge.

The student system was quite good, but it was meant for the students and had little real access to the school administration system. Of course there were a few entry points, and the library inventory system shared information with the student system. All possible entry points.

The first time she had got into the school system had been through the slow process of obtaining a teacher's password. It was still how she did a lot of hacking, though Sylia was the one supplying her with passwords. She also did some serious decrypting, real ice-skating but that required some very powerful and illegal hardware and software. It was why she had the NAVI.

She could always circumvent the system, find a hole and wiggle through. It was what she often did when she had no password and skating was chancy. That took time though. She figured she could find a way through the school systems in about fifteen minutes, but that would not be dramatic enough.

When in doubt, Nene thought as she tapped a few keys on the NAVI.

Data began to flash across both the screens of the NAVI and computer. Nene had one hand on the keyboard of the computer, the other hand on the keyboard of the NAVI. She liked the NAVI's subtlety, but the small keyboard was a pain to use.

It did not take long before the opening screen of the administration system appeared. Nene sat back. "Time?"

"A minute and a half," Yukiko said.

Nene began to remove the connections between her computer and her NAVI. "I didn't actually have to do it that way. I could have sneaked through the library circulation records into the purchasing records and then into the school financial records. That would have taken about ten minutes." She turned to NAVI off and then the computer.

"I don't believe this," Mei said.

"That was fun," Nene said as she got to her feet. She picked up her NAVI and returned it to her jacket. "Nagane-chan."

Mei stepped back, then bowed. "Gomen na sai Romanova-senpai(I'm sorry)."

Nene smiled.

"Still the queen of this little group of trouble makers I see," Yukiko said.

"Looks like it." Nene got to her feet. "Let's go." She walked towards the door, Yukiko followed.

"Nagane-chan," Nene looked over her shoulder just as she was about to leave the room, "good luck."

"Show off," Yukiko told Nene as they left the computer lab.

"I guess."

"Are you sure you work for the police?"

"Why?" Nene asked, trying not to sound nervous. It was not if Yukiko could know that she was part of the Knight Sabers.

"Just the way you broke into that system, I didn't know police were good at those sort of things."

"I've just kept in practice, for fun really." Nene felt she was not really lying.

"Well as long as you only do it for fun and not for profit."

"I'll try."

Yukiko looked at Nene sideways. "You're a naughty girl Nene, unfortunately in none of the ways that count." Yukiko suddenly smiled. "You really impressed Nagane-san."

"I was trying to do that."

Yukiko began to laugh.

"What?"

"Do you remember her from when she was in Junior High?"

Nene thought back on her time in school. While the girls from the Junior High had often been around, she could not remember Mei. She shook her head.

"I do. I sometimes saw her watching us. I never gave it much thought until after you had left. She used to come and ask me if I had heard anything about you."

"What?"

"She had a crush on you."

Nene looked at Yukiko for a moment. "That's not true."

"Yes it is. And the best part is that she probably had gotten over it, and now you have become her hero again."

"Oh great."

"Don't worry about it. She'll go to University in a few months and once surrounded by boys will forget about you. You were infatuated with a few of our senpais if I remember correctly."

Nene nodded. "I suppose. I also remember being a little annoying about it."

"Nene-chan? Annoying? Say it's not so," Yukiko said sarcastically.

Nene laughed. "I guess it is just karma then."

"So what do you want to do now?"

"Don't know. I guess we should stop off at the teacher's office."

"It is only polite."

"Yes," Nene sighed.

"Come on." Yukiko grabbed Nene's arm and led her down the hall towards the stairs. "You have to face it sometime."

Once they were back on the second floor Yukiko walked over to the door to the teacher's office and slid it open. "Excuse me," she called out.  
"Please excuse me," Nene said, keeping her voice low and trying to stay out of sight behind Yukiko.

"Aa, Yasui-san, Ohayo," one of the teachers said as she got to her feet.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu(good morning) Nagasaka-sensei." Yukiko moved forward to meet her and suddenly Nene found herself fully exposed. There was little she could do but stand there. Running from the office or trying to hide were a little too undignified.

Nagasaka looked at Nene for a moment before she recognised the young woman. "Romanova-san, Ohayo."

"Ah, Ohayo Gozaimasu sensei," Nene said to the woman who had been her homeroom teacher in Junior High.

"It's been a while, hasn't it."

"I know."

"It's almost like old times," Yukiko said.

"It's good to know you are well," Nagasaka said. "I heard that you were from your Kaasan, but it is nice to see you."

"It certainly is," someone else said from behind Nene.

Nene cringed as she recognised the voice.

Himiko Mukai-kocho sensei(principal) was the one person in the school who Nene had almost never been able to get around. It had seemed whenever she was about to do something wrong, or more often just after, Mukai-kocho sensei had been there. Nene had not been the only student to suffer from the woman's ability to ferret out anything that might be wrong but she had often felt that she had been a high priority target.

Her third year had promised to be rather hard when she had discovered that Mukai-kocho sensei was to take over as her homeroom teacher.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu, Mukai-kocho sensei," Nene said, turning to face the woman.

She was not a large woman-though she was taller than Nene by a few centimetres-but she seemed to radiate power. Long brown hair, a little grey in it, beautiful face, athletic build, and piercing brown eyes. She wore a severe suit, black, with a cream coloured blouse.

"I take it this is a social visit, you are not here to complete your third year as you should have," Himiko said, staring at Nene.

"Uh, yes," Nene said, dropping her head, not wanting to meet that stare.

"Nene-chan has written the Central Exam," Yukiko spoke up, enjoying the fact that Nene was the target of Mukai-sensei's attention and she was not. "She did very well."

"I see. Still time for you to complete the last months of your third year though," Himiko said flatly. "That would be something."

Nene wondered if the woman was actually serious, she finally looked up just to see if Himiko was smiling. She was not.

"What do you think Romanova-kun?" Himiko asked her.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to torture me?" Nene asked, suddenly tired of being meek.

Himiko smiled at that point and shook her head slightly. "Not really. So, where do you plan to go to university?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet. I was thinking of Toyoeiwa," Nene said.

"I see. Well, thirty years ago it might not have been an institution I would have approved of but now it is a fitting university for a graduate of this school."

"I didn't graduate from this school," Nene reminded her.

"A formality at best. While I suppose you don't have the two days you need to write the school's final exams; I can give you a shortened version. We'll get it done in two hours, and if you pass," she said that as if she was not certain that Nene would. "I'll give you your diploma. I think that will be for the best."

"But..."

"Is there a problem Romanova-kun?" Himiko asked, suddenly serious again.

"No," Nene said, giving in. Yukiko and Nagasaka-sensei were laughing softly.

"Good. Wait here for a moment," Himiko said as she walked towards her office. Nene slumped slightly.

"You were the one who wanted to come here," Yukiko said, sliding up to Nene.

"I was hoping she was dead," Nene told her.

* * *

The "Shimoyachi Gallery" occupied the first floor of an office building on the West Side of Shinjuku station. It was not one of the best galleries in the city, but it had a certain reputation and a number of well known artists let it be a showcase for their work. The main feature that day was a set of works entitled "100 views of Mount Fuji". Priss wondered if Hokusai would have approved of the title or the works.

She could not help but feel a little under-dressed as she entered the gallery and noticed all the suits and long skirts.

"Irasshaimase(welcome)," the woman behind the desk in the lobby said.

Priss nodded at the receptionist then put two, thousand yen bills on the desk. She took one of the brochures and a pen with the galley's name on it then walked into the gallery proper.

She stopped at the first poster sized photograph, a picture of the Genom Tower at night, fully lit up. The new Fuji-san(mount Fuji). The illusion was very strong, with the shape of the Tower and the spotlights, concentrated on the top, made the black material shine white, like snow.

The shot was a double exposure, like all the works. The Tower and, like an after-image, a scene of the AD Police cleaning up after a boomer battle. In the centre of that picture were three shapes, covered with white shrouds, stained with blood.

Priss flipped open the brochure and scanned it, reading about the dates both pictures had been taken. Miako Forest had used an old 35mm. No digital enhancement or any computer tricks were used in any of the pictures in the showing. It was rather impressive.

The night before, after a rather long set at Hot Legs, Priss had been introduced to the works of Miako Forest. Yuuko had brought a book of the woman's work to the set. Priss had found it in the dressing room and had been drawn to the works. When Yuuko had told her that the photographer was showing her work Priss had decided to take a look.

She walked through the aisles, stopping to look at every picture, examining it, trying to guess what she had been feeling when she had taken the pictures. In all cases she had taken the picture of scenes around the city first, then the shot of the Tower. Different angles, but all from about the same distance.

After looking at about thirty of the works Priss noticed something. Any shot of something unpleasant, dead or wounded ADP officers, some historic building being destroyed, a shot of a politician being arrested, the Tower's image was strong. Other shots, a fire boomer carrying a child form a blaze, some Genom suit dedicating a park, a group of smiling students, the Tower's image was fainter.

Priss could not help smiling. It was so simple, so elegant, yet so telling. It made such a strong statement without being overblown about it. Some people would never notice it, but she suspected it would stay with them. A feeling they could not explain, that somehow the Tower represented the bad things in the city.

The book Yuuko had brought had been shots from all over the city in the early days of the reconstruction. Crude for the most part, anything that would make Genom look bad. Still, there had been something to the work that spoke of passion. Priss recognised it as being akin to her own early work.

Since then Miako, like Priss, had gone on, her work becoming more elegant, more beautiful, with her social message hidden in the art and being stronger for that.

Priss had seen some people in the gallery who wore Genom lapel pins. She thought it both funny and ironic that a print, or even one of the original works, might end up on the office wall of some Genom executive.

She continued to walk along the aisle, looking at each of the pictures, sometimes circling the number in her brochure. There were a few that she might want prints of. If there were prints.

"Asagiri-san?" Priss heard someone say from behind her.

Priss turned, she was a little surprised to find Ali Romanova standing there.

"It is you," Ali said. "I wasn't sure."

Priss, at a lost for words, fell back on, "Uh, yeah."

"Are you a fan of Forest-san's work?"

"Maybe," Priss said. "I just found out about her last night." Priss said nothing for a moment, then, "Are you?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Ali turned to look at he picture Priss had been looking it. A man, probably a Genom executive, was being led off in cuffs by police. The image of the tower was rather strong. "It's quite beautiful, in its way, but her dislike of Genom is quite obvious. I dislike having something shoved in my face." Ali was looking at the picture with a critical eye.

"Maybe that's the only way people will notice," Priss said, for some reason feeling a little defensive.

"I'm not sure," Ali said. "She seems to have become fixated on Genom. That she hates them is obvious. Why does she keep coming back to it?"

"Lots of people have reason to hate Genom. Do you like them?" Priss asked, unable to keep and edge out of her voice.

Ali turned to look at Priss. There was something close to surprise on her face. "Genom is too large to like or dislike. There are things the company has done that have not impressed me, and have even made me angry at times. They have also done things that I was very glad of."

"It's just public relations."

"I know," Ali nodded. "Several years ago Genom gave me a rather generous grant and some very advanced prosthetics. They asked me to lead a team of doctors into several of the poorer countries in Asia and perform some transplant operations. It was publicity related, but that does not change the fact it was a good thing. Nor does it make up for the bad things they have done." Ali turned to look at the picture again. "There are people related to the company who I consider friends and there are ones that I dislike." She turned to look directly at Priss. "That man in that picture is one of them. I can claim some responsibility for his arrest."

"What?" Priss wondered if the woman in front of her was continually putting her off stride on purpose.

"His line of research was rather unethical."

"Aren't you worried that you won't get any further grants from Genom? That they might ruin you?" Priss asked. Ali shook her head. "That they might hurt your family?" That had the effect that Priss wanted. It cracked the woman's composure ever so slightly. Priss suddenly felt guilty for saying it.

"Asagiri-san," Ali said as she reached into her purse. "Whether I like of dislike Genom is ultimately unimportant." She held out a white card to Priss. Priss, still a little off, reached out and took it. "What really matters is whether I like myself." She released the card, turned and walked away.

Priss stared at her back as she walked off, and continued to stare straight ahead for several seconds after Ali had left her view. She shook her head and looked at the card. On it was Ali's name, her work phone number, her fax number, her e-mail address, and hand written, her home phone number and NAVI number.

For a moment Priss was tempted to simply crumple the card up and drop it. She told herself that she was just being polite to a friend's mother as she put the card in her pocket. She shook her head and turned to look back at the picture. She was about to circle the number on her brochure when she asked herself what she was doing.

Was she going to put prints of the work up on the dingy walls of her trailer? Just something else to shove into a box, to store until she got a chance to use it? It seemed rather pointless. She circled the number anyway.

Priss walked along, looking at the last set of pictures, though not really seeing them. She was almost at the end when she was brought up short by herself, staring out from one of the last pictures.

It was from Hot Legs, she was wearing her wig and stage gear, an upper body shot. Behind her image, looking just as solid, was the tower. She flipped open the brochure and looked up the information on it.

The picture of her had been taken almost a year ago. So much for the 'no cameras' rule at Hot Legs, she thought, looking at herself. It was untitled, as were most of the works, simply a number eight to indicate which view it was.

"So, what do you think?" someone asked from behind her.

For the second time is a short time Priss was caught off guard and turned quickly finding herself face to face with Miako Forest. She was an attractive young woman, more so than the picture on the brochure had led Priss to expect. Her long back hair was drawn back from her face with two braids. She was wearing a suit like many of the others in the Galley, though the skirt was a little too short and the red, high-heeled shoes clashed with the dark blue material.

"Pardon," Priss said.

"I'm sorry." She smiled. "Forest Miako. I am pleased to meet you."

"You're the photographer?" Priss asked.

"Yes, and as you can tell, I know you already Asagiri-san." She pointed at the picture behind Priss.

"Priss is fine," Priss said.

"Priss-san. Please call me Miako. So, do you like it?" She once again indicated the picture.

"It's very interesting." Priss turned once more to face it. "Why is the Tower's image so strong?"

"I'm glad to see you noticed that effect," Miako moved up beside her. "As to why, I'm not sure. I was going to make it faint, was setting the shutter speed very fast when I suddenly changed my mind. I felt your picture needed a strong back drop."

"I've never seen you in Hot Legs," Priss said, unsure how to respond to her previous comment and wanting to change the subject.

"I don't get out to many clubs that often, shame really."

"Why me?" Priss asked.

"Because I like your music and I like your message and I think you're very beautiful. The last reason was the most important for me."

Priss was again unable to think of a proper response for that one so she just looked at the picture and they fell into an uncomfortable silence for several seconds.

"Would you like to go eat lunch?" Miako asked.

"Pardon?"

"I was planning on going to lunch when I saw you come in. I've actually been following you, waiting for you to come to this one. So, would you like to have lunch with me?"

Priss thought about it for a moment. She had nothing important to do for the next few hours and Miako, and her art, did interest her. "Okay," she said.

"Come on, I know a great little Italian place about two blocks away," she headed towards the lobby.

"Why did you follow me?" Priss asked, falling into step beside her.

"I don't know, I guess it was just kind of fun really. I'm a fan of your music and I saw you come in here so I guessed you might be a fan of my work. I wanted to watch you without you knowing the photographer was watching your reactions."

"Weird," Priss said.

"A little," she smiled.

"Do you have prints of your work?" Priss asked, remembering she wanted some. Maybe she would never put them up, but she could give them as gifts. Maybe Sylia would appreciate them.

"Limited editions. One hundred copies of each, signed and numbered. Which ones do you want?" she asked as they passed through the lobby. Miako waved to the receptionist as they left.

Priss opened the brochure and read off the numbers as they exited the building.

"Should have a few of those left I would think. Chotto matte(just a second)," she turned and went back into the building. Priss watched through the windows as she talked to the receptionist then came back out.

"I have one of each being held for you," she said as she came out of the building.

"How much?" Priss asked.  
"For you, free," she said, walking down the street.

"Really?"

"Don't worry about it Priss-san. After all, I did take and use your picture without permission. Consider this an apology or payment."

"All right," Priss said. Miako did have a point.

They arrived at the restaurant a short time later. It was crowded, but Miako knew the staff and they quickly cleared as table for them.

"What's good here?" Priss asked.

"Everything," she said. "I would recommend the pasta-salad or the pizza though."

"I think I'll go with the pizza."

"Good choice. Shall we order a large and split it?"

"Whatever," Priss shrugged her shoulders.

Miako ordered their food and some drinks.

They made some small talk through the meal, nothing of real import, a little about art, a little about the city, a little about how they had spent their youth. It was an easy, comfortable conversation that relaxed Priss.

"Would you have dinner with me tonight?" Miako asked. Priss was suddenly not so relaxed.

"I suppose," Priss said without really thinking. When was the last time someone other than Leon had asked her to go to dinner?

"Good." she smiled. "You know the Shinjuku station well?"

"I've been through it a few times."

"Okay. Fourth floor. There is a restaurant called 'Oishiya' near the escalators. How about we meet there at about nine."

"That's too late. I have a gig at Hot Legs. I can only show up so late."

"How about six then?"

Priss thought about it. She had the perfect excuse to get out of the dinner she had just agreed to, and almost used it. There was something about Miako that interested her though. "Sounds good."

"Good. Shall we go back to the gallery now? I can get those prints you wanted packed up for you."

"Thanks." Priss got to her feet.

* * *

Shrill flute music took the dancers into the first steps. Like the music their movements were sharp, quick, or that was the intention. Most of the dancers were not quite getting it, though they had only run through the routine once before.

Andrea Kikuchi sat in the front row of the theatre watching, frowning, and making notes. She watched as the dancers moved through the steps, through her choreography. None of them had gotten it yet, though they were trying, she gave them that.

The two taiko drummers began, adding another element to the music, and bringing on two more dancers. The koto music brought on the final dancer. Now they were all together, with the music as it should be, moving through the dance that almost looked traditional.

They were only half way through it all when Andrea got to her feet and signalled the musicians to stop. The dancers, looking a little surprised, all stopped.

"That was all very bad," Andrea said. "Foley-san, what was that you were doing?"

The small woman looked over at Andrea. "Dancing," she said.

"Is that what you call it? You are dancing the part of a ethereal spirit, of water and wind, and yet you are stomping all over the stage."

"I'm sorry."

"Namura-san, what was that you were doing with your hands?"

"Kikuchi-sensei?"

"You've got them balled up like you are planning on hitting someone."

"But I'm supposed to be a warrior."

"Warriors don't go around looking for a fight. They move with grace and beauty until they have to kill someone, and even then they tense up only for the strike.

"Hai sensei."

"Yamazaki-san, what is it you are trying to do?"

"Act like a demon," Linna said.

"That's what I thought. Well, in my world demons move with grace. They are refined, evil yes, but refined. Whose world are we in?"

"Yours sensei."

"Yes. Now, I want you to take Namura-san and show her how a warrior moves. The rest of you, work by yourself for the next ten minutes. Everything I've said applies to you as well." She looked over at the musicians. "Why don't you take a break? My assistant will make you some tea."

The musicians thanked her and put their instruments aside.

Linna sighed, once again feeling like she must be some sort of klutz. She wondered if it was possible to please Kikuchi-sensei. Then again, it was not as if she took the full brunt of the woman's displeasure. She tended to find fault in every one of her dancers at least once a day.

"Come on," Mako Namura said, grabbing Linna by the shoulder and directing her to an unoccupied corner of the stage. "Now, what does she mean? Tense up only when they strike?"

Linna ran her hands through her hair. "When you tense up, you can't move very well. Watch." Linna shifted her right foot back, dropping into a fighting stance. She cocked her right hand in, extended her left out. She held the position for a moment, then launched the right hand out, drawing the left back, and tuning her hip to add force. Just before her fist reached its imaginary target Linna's left heel, which had been raised slightly, dropped to the ground. She moved back into the fighting stance. "See?"

"No."

Linna smiled. "You keep yourself loose up until the point you are going to make contact, then you tense the muscles up for a moment, just to get that extra power. Up until the point you hit, you stay loose. You move faster that way. Try it."

Mako moved, copying Linna, shifting into a stance, then punching out.

Linna made a number of corrections, then had her do it again. They kept it up for several minutes until Mako began to understand.

"I thought dancing was hard," she said, wiping her face with a towel.

"You know how to move," Linna told her. "That's what is the most important thing. Don't over think it. Fighting, dancing, the body mechanics are ultimately the same."

"I guess you have to be really good at both to understand that."

"I don't feel really good at dancing," Linna said.

Mako laughed. "You would not have got such a good part if you weren't good."

"A good part?"

"Okay, the demon does not get a lot of stage time, but when you do, with that mask, and those swords, everyone is going to be looking at you."

"I didn't think about that," Linna admitted.

"Just wait until we start doing dress rehearsals."

"If you say so."

"All right," they heard Andrea call out. "Let's see if we can figure this out."

"Back to work," Mako said, tossing the towel aside.

Linna nodded.

* * *

Priss showed up late to the restaurant. Miako was waiting for her, but did not seem bothered by that fact. She smiled broadly when she saw Priss.

"Thought maybe something came up," she said.

Priss was about to make an excuse, say something about heavy traffic, but instead just shrugged her shoulders as she took her seat.

"Here," Miako said, putting a large envelope on the table.

"What is it?" Priss said, picking the envelope up.

"Look."

Priss opened it up and shook the contents out. Inside was the picture of her and the Tower, as well as several negatives. "What's all this?"

"Well, as I said earlier today, I took you picture without permission. I'm just returning this stuff to you."

Priss looked at it all for a moment then put it all back into the envelope. "Thanks," she said.

"Hungry?"

Priss nodded.

"How about we split a big plate of sushi, get some gyoza, some soba, and some rice."

"Sounds good," Priss said.

"Excuse me," Miako called out, attracting the attention of the waitress. When the woman came over Miako placed the order. Priss ordered some beer to go with it, Miako ordered oolong tea.

"So," Priss asked after the drinks had arrived, "why did you want to have dinner?"

"Right to the point. It's all fairly harmless. I've liked your music for a long time and thought that this would be a great chance to get to know you. Furthermore, we have a lot in common."

"Do we?"

"You rode with a motorcycle gang didn't you?"

After a moment Priss nodded, then took a drink of her beer.

"I ran with a street gang in Shibuya. We worked a small area and got what we could from it. The Yakuza was majorly screwed by the quake, we just moved in."

"I know," Priss said.

"Lost friends?"

Priss controlled herself, the anger raising up in her. "A few."

Miako smiled. "A few," she said. "I lost a lot. We were playing with drugs. At the same time the Yakuza were coming after us, so were the police. People died, or were arrested. Those of us who made it out..." she shook her head. "I don't see much of them anymore. They are either dead, or have gone legitimate in one way or another and don't want to anything to do with their past. Not that I blame them. I'm the same way."

"So why me?"

"We share a similar past, but not the same past. I figure if you are like me, sometimes you need someone to talk to," Miako dropped her voice. "Someone whom to you can say things like, 'I might have killed someone' or 'I once saw a friend beaten to death by cops'. Someone who you know is not going to looked shocked about it."

Priss nodded after a moment. "I know."

"I've listened to your music, I think you feel the same way about things as I do. You express it through your songs. I express it thorough my photography. We've both been through dark times and survived it. You don't find too many people like that. Or at least too many that you would want to share a meal with."

Priss laughed. "True, but to tell you the truth, I don't know you well enough to start spilling my guts."

Miako nodded. "I didn't expect your darkest secrets tonight, or ever really. I certainly don't plan on sharing anything. Still, being able to talk to someone who understands the things left unsaid is nice."

Priss took a drink of her beer. "How long have you been in photography?"

"For a while I guess. When I was a girl I always liked taking pictures, though I never gave much thought to the art involved. It's only been the last four or five years that I've been trying to say something with them."

"About the same for me. At first it was just a way to pick up some change, singing on street corners and stuff. Then I realised I could say something."

"You were lucky. Taking pictures on street corners does not get you a lot of money."

Priss laughed at that. "I suppose."

"So what's your next step, one artist to another?"

"Not much," Priss said, thinking about the contract she had torn up.

"My agent is telling me I should put together a showing and take it on tour, the big cities in Japan, then jump over to North America."

"Sounds interesting."

"It might be. If we can get funding."

The waitress showed up at that point with some of their food. The conversation switched to simpler topics, quality of the food, current events, shared interests. Priss decided that Miako was right. It was nice to talk to someone with which she shared a common background.

Later, they exited the restaurant together.

"That was very good," Miako said.

Priss nodded.

"Well, I've got some work to do. Priss-san, thanks for eating with me."

"No problem."

"Here," she said, holding a card out to Priss. "It's got my number and everything."

"Thanks," Priss said, taking the card. She found one of her cards and gave it to Miako. "That's my cel phone number. Probably the best way to reach me."

"Thank you," Miako said as she put it in her pocket. "See you later." She bowed slightly, smiled, then turned and walked away.

Priss looked at her watch. She was going to have to get moving is she was not going to be too late.

* * *

**Cultural Notes:**

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1894) was a famous Japanese painter, whose work was influenced by Western painting devices, such as realistic perspective. He was well known for his landscape work, particularly for a series of prints, 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.'

_"The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai. When one has the conviction that even the slightest artful ability is harmful to the samurai, all the arts become useful to him. One should understand this sort of thing"  
_- **Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	10. Flash Powder 4

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 4 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Her arms full with the two shopping bags, Linna had to do a bit of a juggling act to get her keys and unlock the door into her apartment building.

Andrea had kept everyone late, working all of the dancers hard. Obviously it was important to her, Linna had heard that some of her funding would be based on it. That was understandable. She herself was looking forward to it, after what Mako had told her. A minor role, yes, but a flashy one.

It might even get her an offer. Things like that had happened. Linna laughed at herself as she pulled the door open. It would probably be a while before she might get discovered, she doubted it would be this performance. She was not worried though. It would happen. What she was more worried about was when it did happen. That was going to put her in a tough position.

She hurried into the elevator, thanking the man, one of her neighbours, who had held the doors for her. She was trying to juggle the bags so she could press the button for her floor when the other occupant asked her which floor she wanted and pressed it for her.

The doors opened on her floor a few seconds later. She thanked the man again and exited the elevator.

Re-securing her grip on the bags Linna started down the hall, towards her apartment. She noticed the two people standing outside of her door when she was a few meters away from it.

A man and a woman, well dressed, waiting in the hallway. It took her a moment to recognise them in the poorly lit hall.

"Reika?"

"Good evening Linna-san." Reika bowed slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Linna's tone was rather abrupt. "I mean why didn't you call to say you were coming."

"No time, I'm sorry. Can we talk?"

"Of course, about what?"

"Perhaps inside." Reika kept her voice low.

"I'm sorry, I'm not thinking clearly," Linna apologised as she moved towards her door. Reika suddenly appearing outside her door should have been clue enough that whatever she had come to say was not the sort of thing discussed out in the hallway.

She started to once again juggle the bags, trying to get at her keys, when Reika took one of them from her. Unencumbered she removed her keys from her pocket and opened her door.

She stepped in, kicked off her shoes and stepped up into the apartment proper.

"Please come in." She turned to face Kou and Reika.

They both entered, removing their shoes.

"So what is it?" Linna asked as she rushed into her kitchenette, placing the bag of groceries on the counter next to the sink. She returned just as quickly to take the other bag from Reika. "We can talk here."

"Just to be safe." Kou removed a cylindrical object from his jacket pocket. Flipping a switch on it he made a quick circuit of the apartment. "It's clean."

"I'm sorry if we seem rude Linna, we can't afford to take any chances right now."

"What is it?" Linna placed the second bag next to the first.

"I need some help."

"What kind of help?" She spun to face Reika.

"The kind a certain group of people can provide."

"I see," Linna said slowly.

"These people will of course be paid well, there are of course dangers but after all it is what this is all about, we all take chances, it is the choice..." Reika suddenly snapped her mouth shut, realising she had been babbling or close to it.

Linna moved closer and with speed that surprised even Kou, who had been expecting something, grabbed hold of Reika's left hand and lifted it to her eye level. She looked at the tiger marked ring on Reika's ring finger.

"Who am I talking to? A friend or a representative?"

Reika did not answer the question, she looked down, not willing to meet Linna's gaze for a moment then lifted her head back up, staring Linna in the eyes.

With her free hand she unclasped her broach and loosened a ribbon from around her neck. She undid the top two buttons then reached into her blouse then pulled at a gold chain around her neck. A golden engagement band was secured on it. After she had removed it Reika released the chain, letting it and the ring drop to rest on the outside of her blouse.

"It wasn't proper for me to wear it. It was her engagement ring, not mine. I keep it close to me at all times, however."

Linna released Reika's hand and stepped back.

"You wear the other though." Linna made it sound like an accusation.

"Should I abandon my family just so I can follow my own dreams?" Reika's voice rose slightly. She looked as if she were trying not to scream.

Linna could not answer that. It hit too close to her own thoughts of late.

"Linna-san, I can't just turn my back on my family. I told you I despised them once, and then became proud. Well, I'm still proud of everything. I can't just turn my back on all that without at least attempting to follow my clan's duties. I can still sing."

"I know. I'm sorry. Tell me what I can do." She could no longer feel any disapproval for Reika's decision.

"Get this disk to the people I want to hire." She held up one of the smaller sized MMSDs.

"I'll see what I can do." Linna reached forward to take it.

"It has all the information needed to contact me, outlines the situation, payment, everything."

"I'm sorry if this seems rude but can you please leave now?" Linna said, not looking up to meet Reika's eyes. "I'm tired."

"Of course." Reika was a little taken aback. "Is there anything wrong, perhaps..."

"No. I'm fine, it's like I said, I'm tired."

"I see." Reika nodded then turned, heading to the door.

Linna did not say anything until Reika was about to leave.

"Reika-san. I'm sorry. If you would like to meet some other time, when I'm in a better mood?"

"I'd like that." Reika smiled slightly then left the apartment.

"Take care of yourself," Linna called out a moment before the door closed.

She walked over to her day bed and sat down hard. She was tired, that had not been a lie. And there were the memories that Reika caused to come to the surface. Irene.

Linna shook her head and lay back on the bed. She needed some sleep. Groaning she reached over, groping for her phone. She would make this call, then she promised herself she would sleep for as long as she could. Kikuchi had another hard day planned and she would need the rest.

* * *

"You mean she really forced you to write the exams?" Keiko Hayakawa asked Nene as she filled her glass with orange juice.

"You should have seen it," Yukiko laughed. "Mukai-Kocho sensei bullied Nene the entire time. I thought she was going to start crying."

"I can just see it," Kate Satoo said, leaning back on the cushions around the low table.

"The witch has probably been just dreaming of this day for the past two years. I bet you I'm the only student who ever got away from her."

"Well, at least you have something to show for it." Kate reached over and tapped the tube-covered with simulated alligator like skin-that held Nene's diploma.

"You know, that was all too convenient." Nene shifted her gaze over to Yukiko, narrowing her eyes. "You wouldn't have happened to arrange things, would you?"

"I did not even know you were going to visit the school," Yukiko defended herself.

"Why not blame the most likely candidate?" Keiko asked as she brushed her black hair from her face. "Your kaachan."

Nene thought about it, wondering if her mother might have done something like that. She shook her head, of course she would. She had mentioned to her mother that she might visit the school. On further thought she realised her mother had been mentioning the possibility of visiting the school. It seemed her mother had skilfully manipulated her, once again. She was remembering once more why she had run away.

"I don't believe this." Nene flopped back onto the tatami, staring up at the ceiling of the private room.

"Looks like Nene's mama is still running her life," Kate teased.

"Did she pick out the outfit you're wearing?" Yukiko added.

Nene bolted upright. "No she didn..." She stopped suddenly, remembering that her mother had in fact bought her the outfit she was wearing. Nene's face went red as she fell back to the tatami. Her three friends were silent for a moment then realised what Nene's behaviour meant.

They burst out laughing.

"It's not funny," Nene said weakly, not bothering to sit up.

"At least she's letting you go out on your own," Yukiko told her, trying to help.

"And she lets you go to the bathroom all by yourself," Kate said, not trying to help-she was still a little angry about Nene having run out on them. As she expected her comment started the others laughing again.

"Poor Nene." Keiko took a bottle of sake and filled a glass to the brim with it. "Have a real drink," she was going to leave it at that but could not resist adding, "if it's all right with your Okaasama."

Nene sat up angrily and grabbed the glass, a little of the alcohol sloshed over onto her fingers. She downed half the glass in one gulp then started to cough. Keiko reached over to pat her on her back.

Nene wished she could tell them the truth about her involvement with the Knight Sabers. That would show them that she was not a child. Of course wanting to tell them was more than a little immature. She just could not win.

"Let's not be too cruel to Nene," Yukiko said.

"Yu-chan is always defending Nene," Kate said. "You two aren't a couple are you?"

"Of course not," Yukiko said. "I would never come between Nene and Nagane-chan."

"What?" Keiko asked.

"Chibi Ne-chan and Nagane-chan met today. I think it was love."

"Yu-chan!"

"You'll look good together," Kate said.

"Nagane-chan has that maturity that Nene lacks," Keiko added.

"I don't even know her!"

"So it will be an arranged marriage." Yukiko reached over and put and arm across Nene's shoulders. "I will of course be invited to the wedding."

"Shut up," Nene said, taking a drink of her sake.

The other three laughed and made more jokes at Nene's expense for a few minutes before it got boring. "So Nene, which Universities are you writing at?"

Nene looked at Yukiko to make sure that she was serious. "Well, I've written at Todai of course."

"For your mother of course," Keiko said.

"And at Toyoeiwa."

"Why there?" Kate asked.

"I like it. I think it is better than Todai. Tokyo University just has that old boy network going for it that keeps it at number one."

"Why am I not surprised that Nene-chan is going to a Women's University?" Keiko asked aloud.

"I think she is afraid of men," Kate suggested.

"Now now, let's not pick on Chibi Ne-chan too much. Anywhere else?"

"I have written or will write at the top ten in Tokyo. At my mother's request, that I could have refused," Nene looked hard at the others, as if daring them to say something, "I also wrote for a few universities in Kyoto."

"What about Sendai Daigaku(University) might not be the best of the best but it's still pretty good." Yukiko said.

Nene looked a little uncomfortable. "I was thinking about it, but..."

"Too many things going on in Tokyo?" Yukiko said, wanting to help Nene.

"That's about right."

"Oh well, can't be helped."

Nene nodded.

"Did you write at Genom Daigaku?" Kate asked her.

"What?" Nene asked.

"Genom Daigaku. I know it doesn't rate very high, and it is a very new institution, but it is really good. Like you said about Todai, there is that old boy's networks and such going on. It keeps Genom low."

"I don't know," Nene said, not wanting to refuse outright. That might insult Kate. "I'm not sure about it. I mean, it was set up to be the top of the escalator for Genom's private schools."

"Well sure, but that does not mean it is a bad school. I mean Genom has the money to afford the best staff. Many of Genom's top researchers also teach as the University. And their equipment is the best of course. Think about it Nene, you could be working with the best computers available."

I already work with the best computers available, Nene thought. "Well, I'm not sure. I mean, it was not even a choice of mine."

"You should at least try," Kate continued. "I did."

"What?" Keiko asked. "You never said anything?"

"I wrote it at the same time I went to Tokyo to write the Todai exam. I did not do very well on the Genom exam, so I did not feel like saying anything."

"I heard it is really hard," Yukiko said.

"The Todai exam was a lot easier," Kate told them. "Anyone who comes up through the Genom schools gets into the university easily enough, anyone else, they have to be very good. You could make it Nene. You're smart enough."

"I'm not really sure," Nene told her. Her, in Genom Daigaku? Priss would never leave her alone over that, and Sylia would not be happy about it.

"Oh, please try Nene-chan."

Nene looked at Kate, and suddenly felt guilty about having left her friends and then not letting them know she was fine. Well, just writing it meant nothing. "I'll see if I can arrange things," Nene told her.

Kate smiled. "Good."

"So that's one more university you are writing at. Think your mother will approve?" Yukiko asked in a teasing tone.

"I'm sure she will."

"Hey, Nene," Keiko said from over by the karaoke machine. "As the guest here, I think you should start." She turned the machine on. "Pick a song."

"I don't want to sing," Nene said.

"Too bad Chibi Ne-chan. Pick a song."

Nene dropped her head. She hated karaoke. Then she smiled slightly and looked up at Keiko. "They don't happen to have anything by a 'Priss and the Replicants' do they?" Priss would go insane if she learned about it, Nene was sure of it.

* * *

The lights were coming on in Hot Legs, the last of the patrons being ushered out with polite words in some cases, impolite arm locks in others. The cleaning staff, three domestic boomers with their human supervisor, were beginning to clean the night's detritus.

Sitting in a booth, an open bottle of Suntory's finest whisky between them, were Priss and a slim man with sandy blonde hair, one blue eye, one brown.

"So David, you bastard," Priss filled his glass, then her own, "why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

He took a drink of whisky then looked at her. "Didn't know I was going to be in town till two days ago. Figured I'd track you down and surprise you. This stuff sucks by the way." He held the glass up.

"You didn't mind it when we pulled it out of vending machines."

"I seem to remember, or not, as the case may be, to have been whacked out of my mind by some very fine cannabis for that year of my life. By the way, thanks."

Priss smiled. "Figured better for me to get kicked around by some cops than you getting busted for carrying."

"Japanese jails, got to avoid them."

"Hey," Priss said loudly. "We're improving. Amnesty International is considering letting up on us. What about you, you," Priss paused. "What's the word?"

"Limey?"

"Yes. What about you, you Limey Bastard. We've never had the Tower of London, and kings cutting off their wives head because they couldn't pump out a Y chromosome to save their life."

"Not fair," David said. "I don't know enough about old Japanese history to counter, and the hundred year mark has not passed for me to mention the stuff I do know."

"Damn right," Priss said, smiling. "So, what are you here for?"

"A couple of our bands are going to be making some Japanese tours so I'm advance party, just checking things out."

"Good for you. Going to give me a contract?"

"Yeah, likely."

"Corporate boot spittle," Priss said.

"How is it you pick up all the good English insults and I'm still stuck with 'baka'?"

"I guess that is just the way it is." Priss topped up his glass and then her own.

"Still, I never forget my friends."

"You got friends?"

"Oh, so wonderfully clever my dear Prisila."

"Not overly fond of your teeth are you?"

"Listen, there is this bloke in Paris..."

"Bloke?" Priss asked. Occasionally they both ran up against a slang barrier.

"Guy," David said.

"Okay, so what about this Bloke in Paris?"

"He's putting together this world album type deal and I gave him two of your songs. He loved them. Did not understand a word of it, but loved them."

"This means?"

He brought his briefcase up and put it on the table, then opened it. "Want to sign this?" He took out a contract and put it in front of her.

Priss picked it up and started to look it over. David took several other things out of his briefcase and placed them on the table. He put the case back on the floor and waited for Priss to finish reading.

Priss looked up at him. "Okay, two of my songs get put on this little CD, which probably will end up in the bargain bin of cut rate record stores the world over, and for this I get the grand total of one hundred and fifty thousand yen. Well I'm just set for life aren't I?"

David smiled. "A thank you would do. Just sign it."

Priss looked at him for a moment, then picked up a pen and signed the contract. "There," she pushed it to him. "Now where's my check?"

"Here," he handed her the money order.

"Well, this is nothing." She folded the money order up.

"Your grateful tone is reward enough."

"Stuff it."

"There is more."

"What, even more money? Where shall I keep all this new found wealth."

"Remember George Newberry, the Yank?"

"No."

"You kept that gang from stuffing him into a vending machine after he spilled coffee on one of the them."

"Fat, pimples?"

"Yes, though he has slimmed down now and no longer suffers from acne."

"What about him?"

"A year or so ago he made this movie, on the proverbial shoe strong budget. Just blew the critics away, raked in a lot of cash, got a couple of Academy Awards and made him a man in demand."

"Good for him."

"He's done a few more movies since then, not so critically acclaimed, but big money makers. The one he is working on now has this loner character who's a bit out there on the edge. I talked George into giving this character an interest in Japanese rock since it would give him a chance to pay you back."

"You didn't?"

"I did. Couple of your posters up on the wall of the set, most people have to pay for that kind of product placement, and two of your songs on the soundtrack. You even get your name in the credits."

Priss looked stunned for a moment. Then she looked straight at David. "What's my cut?"

David laughed. "For the songs used in the movie and your image on the posters, twenty thousand American, straight, and some small royalty fees that will roll in. You do get a cut of the soundtrack sales though. As these things tend to go gold a few times over, sometimes even platinum, you'll see a reasonable income come in from that."

"Well shit."

"Here," he pushed the contracts across the table. "Sign these and you are set."

Priss picked up the contracts and began reading through them. "This is all pretty generous."

"George has a lot of flaws, but he does tend to respect people who saved his life. And you slept with him."

"What?" Priss looked up at him.

"Well that is what he always claimed."

"You're joking?"

"No. You mean you never had sex with him?"

"Of course not. He's about as attractive as a Shinjuku gutter at three in the morning."

"Ouch. Having been face down in a few gutters three in the morning I'd have to say that is going too far."

"Then you sleep with him," Priss said. She began to sign the contracts.

"Pass."

"Here," Priss slid the contracts toward him.

"Good. Here's a banker's draft, for the amount in full. Now, let's get down to real business."

"Real business?"

"Can you write in English? Can you sing in English?"

"When I have to."

"A friend of mine and I are going to set up this independent label in Scotland. We got backing from this old rocker, no names mentioned, and we are going to try a few things. Give me an album worth of songs, both Japanese and their English translations, or vice-versa, and we'll cut a record."

"You're kidding?"

"Would I kid a woman who once made a sumo wrestler cry?"

"He was drunk, and college league," Priss said.

"Whatever. You in?"

"You're serious?"

"Never so much so. The rest, the Paris deal, George's movie, all just to give you some cash to live on while you work on this. So, are you in?"

Priss said nothing for a time, she just stared at the near empty glass in her hands. "Want me to change my name?" she finally asked.

"What?"

"A change of name, mine or the band?"

"Priss and the Replicants has a nice ring to it. If you want to change it, go ahead, what's in a name?"

"Just wanted to be sure. So, once I got the songs ready, we talk serious, right?"

"Right. I'd like to give you a big advance, but we are on a bit of a budget."

"I understand." Priss held her hand across the table to him.

David took it and shook it.

"Now," Priss said as she got to her feet. "Let's go celebrate."

"Dingy Roppongi club?" David asked as he began to put things away in his briefcase.

"Sounds interesting."

* * *

**February 12th, Katano city, 03:23**.

Bow held above her head, arrow knocked, Sylia brought her arms down parallel to the ground, drawing the bowstring back. She let out half a breath, held it, then released the arrow, her right arm swinging smoothly behind her, straight.

The arrow buried itself deep into the dirt around the targets.

Sylia moved the bow smoothly, her right hand, holding two more arrows by the metal heads, moving forward. Another arrow nocked, she raised the bow above her head, then drew once again. She released.

There was a whisper of the wooden shaft brushing the wood of the bow. The bowstring hummed, there was a soft thump as the arrow buried itself into the straw matting of the target.

She fired the last arrow, watching as it sunk deep into the target. For a time she stood there, breathing deeply. After several minutes she carefully unstrung the bow and put it with all the others. From a locker at the far end of the dojo she removed a western style re-curve bow.

After stringing it she took the quiver of arrows with her and walked back to the firing line.

She knelt there for a time, looking out at the targets, then reached for the bow.

Her motions were controlled as she drew an arrow from the quiver by her knee, nocked it and drew the string back. She did not release right away but focused, breathing slowly, emptying her mind of everything but the arrow and the target. There was a hissing whisper before the arrow thudded into the target, right beside one of the others.

There was not a single extraneous motion as she put arrow after arrow into the target in front of her. After a while she began to hear the clicking sound of metal on metal as the arrowheads began to hit others already in the target.

When that happened she switched to another target.

The aches from holding an arrow for several minutes at a time did not intrude on her thoughts.

She could not keep up that pace forever, though nearly two hours had passed before her aim began to falter. Her arms shook, and she almost let an arrow fall.

With great care she went through the precise movements required to unstring the bow, taking her time.

Kyudo demanded a lot from her but she gave it willingly. Somehow she enjoyed it more. Perhaps it was the fact she could be completely alone, that she did not need a partner to practice with.

Putting the bow down beside her she finally let herself relax, shaking slightly. Her arms ached, the muscles in her back, even her legs. It had been too long.

Picking the bow up she got to her feet, swaying slightly as blood rushed back to her legs, making her feel light headed for a moment. Once she felt steady she walked to the locker and put the bow away.

That done, she crossed the floor to the targets and began to pull her arrows free. After that followed a few minutes of work to put everything back the way it had been, cleaning everything up.

Everything done, Sylia left the dojo, bowing at the threshold. The changing rooms were close by. She began to pull the ties of her uniform loose even before she entered. She pulled off her clothes, tossing them into an untidy pile on a wooden bench.

Grabbing a towel from the shelf she walked to the shower room. A few moments later she was surrounded by steam and covered by water that was almost too hot. It relaxed and eased the tensions from her.

Sylia finished showering then dried herself off, taking another towel from the shelf for her hair. She opened the locker where she had left her clothes, putting on fresh undergarments followed by a loose pair of black slacks and a pink blouse.

As she began to stuff her uniform into the gym bag Sylia removed her NAVI from a side pocket. Flipping back the cover she saw the red message light was flashing.

She placed it on the bench, turned to volume up, and tapped the play button for the message. As she folded her uniform up and began packing it away, she listened to Linna's cryptic message. Zipping the gym bag shut she picked up the NAVI, erased the message then put the NAVI to the side.

Sylia had hoped to have breakfast with her Sensei. She saw very little of him since he had gone into semi-retirement, leaving Tokyo four years before.

It was too important that she return to MegaTokyo though. Linna had been cryptic, but Sylia could piece things together. If the Chang group wanted to hire them then things might begin to happen very fast. No time for peaceful meals with old friends.

Pulling her dark blue coat on, she grabbed the NAVI and slid it into a deep pocket.

Sylia spared a few minutes to leave a note thanking her sensei for the use of the dojo, and apologising for not being able to see him before she left.

Leaving, she locked the door behind her. Pulling the straps of the gym bag over her shoulder, and getting a tight grip on her bow case, she reached into her coat pocket and pulled her NAVI out again. It took her less time to arrange for an air taxi back to MegaTokyo than it did for her to leave the note.

* * *

The "Sun Follower" pushed through the water, riding low, its decks stacked high with containers, its holds full of cargo.

Captain Octavious Lareau leaned against the rear wall of the bridge, his hands wrapped around a coffee cup. He was nearly bald, a few wisps of grey hair all that remained. His face though held few signs of age, except for the deep lines around his dark brown eyes.

They would be docking in Yokohama soon, he would off load his cargo, take on another load, then it was down to Taiwan, maybe a trip to San Francisco, and then back to Vancouver. He had been travelling the same route for close to twenty years in three different ships. Two of those he had served as captain on, but the Sun Follower was the only one he had owned.

He did well, contacts and friends at the ports he called at helped him to find the best prices on cargoes, informed him of what might generate the most interest and highest prices and provided him with other useful information.

The smuggling he did was the true money maker for him, which would allow him to retire in splendour, if he could ever give up his life on the sea.

Usually the contraband he carried was harmless, things that were cheaper when people did not have to pay tariff duties. A cargo container or two full of cigarettes had a reasonable profit margin.

Sometimes, when greed got the better of him, he carried other things. This trip he was carrying some mercenaries and their equipment.

Their leader, who had given no name beyond Yoshito, was on the bridge with him, staring at a hand-held global positioning system receiver. Tall, thin, a handsome face marred by a long scar that ran from the centre of his forehead to his right cheek. Octavious wondered how he had avoided losing the eye. His dark brown hair was cut short, his hazel eyes had green flecks.

Octavious had considered asking Yoshito and his men not to wear their weapons while on his ship. He had given up on the idea almost immediately, deciding it was easier to let them wear sidearms then arguing about it.

The mercenary suddenly looked up from his GPS.

"All right Captain, slow your ship right down."

"Engines at eighth speed, maintain the same heading."

"I'll need some people on the crane."

"Johnson," Octavious called over to his XO, "get a crew on deck."

"Put up the lights."

"You heard him," Octavious said.

The area around the ship was lit up as the spotlights came on, turning it into a floating island of illumination. Yoshito nodded then left the bridge, heading down onto deck. Octavious looked around, nodded to his second officer then followed the mercenary.

Yoshito's men were already on deck, tying cargo straps around several of the containers on deck. They had released the straps that had held them, as well as several others, to the deck. Octavious was worried that the containers would slide off but the mercenaries seemed to know what they were doing.

The sound of a motor drifted over the water, Octavious looked to the west where it was coming from.

"That's our ride," Yoshito told him.

The captain nodded.

By the time Johnson had a crane crew up on the deck the first boat was tied up alongside the freighter. A fishing boat by the look of it, big enough to hold one of the containers, if just barely.  
Octavious would not want to be on one if the waves were even a little higher.

Another boat was floating alongside the larger ship by the time the crane crew lifted the first container into the air.

Transferring it between the two craft was hard to do, even with the ships moving as slow as they were. It went smoothly though. Octavious had to admit the mercenaries were very good at their job, as were his own people.

It took a little over ten minutes to move the two containers onto the boats. When it was done the mercenaries went over the side, boarding the already overloaded boats.

Yoshito nodded at him then followed his men, leaping over the rail, landing on top of a container. He grabbed the strap holding it to the boat as the small craft's engines opened up. They were fast, Octavious was surprised at how fast they moved. Before the boat was swallowed up in the darkness he thought he made out Yoshito waving to him.

"Johnson," he called out, "make sure everything is secured and cut the spotlights."

"Yes sir."

Octavious headed back up to the bridge.

* * *

Yoshito put Captain Octavious out of his mind once the freighter had disappeared into the darkness behind him. He worked his way forward then dropped over the side of the container, landing just behind the small pilothouse.

"Tell me how things are going, Robert," he said to the man piloting the boat.

"Well enough, all things considered. We are working to keep things together, and make sure our little friends stay under control."

"How are you managing that?"

"Keeping the weapons locked up and hidden, and anything they have to train on de-clawed."

"Are they that hard to control?"

"Not all of them. Some are pitiful pieces of work; others are just trying to make a difference. I kind of feel sorry for the later."

"Moving people out?"

"All the time. Soon as we don't need them I hand them their walking papers and payment. Oh yeah," Robert paused as he reached into his jacket. He brought forth a small package. "Your passport, all properly marked."

"Good," Yoshito stuffed the package into his pants pocket. "How are conditions in the city?"

"Could be better. Both Genom and Kyuusei are paying attention to what's going on. A few of our stooges have been picked up, but they don't know anything of value."

"Can we keep these idiots under control?"

"No."

"What if our employers order us to shut things down?"

"They won't be going anywhere without us. I've pulled a few key components out of the GD-42s, and booby-trapped the weapon lockups. They don't get any toys unless we give them out."

Yoshito nodded. "Good enough. How are they coming along?"

"Not well. Not surprising, you can't make someone an effective pilot in a week or two, and all they can work on is simulations. When the time comes, they will be able to cause a lot of trouble. Put serious opposition in front of them and they will fold."

"I figure it will be at least an hour before that happens. Plenty of time for them to cause some damage. They'll be a useful distraction.

"Can we get all our roustabouts out of the city by tomorrow?" Yoshito said, pointing his chin at one of the men sitting on the bow.

"Yeah, I don't see that being a problem. Sure you don't want to keep a few people around in case these Prometheus Unbound idiots decide to cause trouble?"

"I'll chance it. The last thing we need is Genom or Kyuusei picking up someone. That would be a problem."

"Okay, they'll be gone by tomorrow."

"What about the special package?"

Robert shivered slightly. "Still being worked on. Christ, Yoshito, why the hell are we dealing with something like that?"

"Because the client has demanded it. Can you think of any better reason?"

"I don't like it."

"We're not being paid to like it. We're being paid to make sure the option is there if the client demands it."

"Think they will?"

"Depends on a lot of things. If I knew exactly why they wanted it, then I'd be able to make a better guess."

"What if they tell you to go through with it?" Robert kept his voice low.

"I might not do it. I might. It might not matter. They put one of their own people in charge of it."

"Laura is with that one."

"Laura is not the kind to put a bullet into someone's head."

"She might."

"And she might not. Anyway, it always a bad idea to disobey an employer. I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect that these people play hard and nasty. We might not like what happens if we do not honour this contract."

"Why does the big money always come with big problems?" Robert shook his head.

"I guess it is just the nature of the beast." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm going forward for a breath of fresh air." Yoshito slid around the pilothouse and took a seat on the bow.

Robert sat down where he was and took a cigarette pack from his jacket.

* * *

An hour later, 75km from the coast, the fishing boats were met by several smaller boats.

The containers on deck were cracked open, the GD-42 A3s were walked out of their containers and onto the rear decks of the smaller craft. It was not an easy operation, moving the heavy mechs from one shifting deck to another but they managed.

Yoshito was always a little surprised at how compact a bundle a GD-42 made when it folded its legs up. Once tarps were pulled over them they looked harmless enough, nothing to attract any attention. They were the last two GD-42s they had to bring into the city.

Once that had been completed the containers were pushed off the decks into the water where they quickly sank.

Most of the men transferred over to the smaller craft, taking their gear with them. They would be put off in small groups, nothing that would attract unwanted attention. Then, if all went well, they'd be leaving the city, then the country.

Yoshito stayed on the fishing boat with Robert, they would simply put into Yokohama. He opened his duffel bag and pulled on a thick sweater that covered his shoulder holster. It would be tough to get at the weapon, but he did not think he would need it.

Zipping the bag back up he returned to his seat at the bow. If he was lucky he would get to see the city just as the sun came up. It was nice to be heading home, even if he was going to cause a minor disaster within the city, and just possibly a major one.

Then again, with all the boomer trouble the city had seen, he was not even sure if anyone would notice.

* * *

**February 12th, Sunday, MegaTokyo, 08:32**

Kyuusei Industries had no major holdings within MegaTokyo, and very few in Japan. Genom had made it nearly impossible for any unaffiliated companies to set up in the country.

They did own one office building in the city, ten kilometres from Genom's tower. A mission in hostile territory. Reika did not care for the title, but it stuck with the workers there. It was an expensive facility to run, running at a loss in fact. That loss was used to offset gains from other Kyuusei holdings, resulting in net gains when it came to taxes.

To Reika it all seemed somewhat dishonest at times.

She and Kou had claimed the top four floors as their office space and command post. It also served as their staging area, with a small number of armed personnel there at all times, ready to go at a moment's notice. Reika hoped the police did not get the idea to take a close look at what Kyuusei was up to.

Her office was near the middle of the eighteenth floor. Leaning back in her chair, feet propped up on the desk, eyes half lidded, she looked at the map of MegaTokyo that took up an entire wall.

There were a number of areas on it that were circled in red, blue, black, and green ink. There were also a number of pins embedded in it, small flags of coloured paper around the ends. It duplicated information she had in her computer but Kou seemed to like a little redundancy wherever possible.

She had plenty of information, too much really. She looked at the pile of reports on her desk that had come in over the last few hours. At first she had been sure it would be an easy task. It had not taken her long to realise that most of the information her teams had uncovered was useless, out of date, and in some cases obviously fraudulent.

Kou seemed to take it all in stride, looking through the information, sending people off to check anything that looked promising. Reika was beginning to see how he did it, how he used all the information they had attained previously to understand the complete picture.

She hit the scroll key on her computer, looking over some data that had come in. Half of it, once she took a good look at it, were things that they had already checked out. Even so, it still left her with a lot of new information to go through.

"Bad news." Kou came into her office, his jacket off, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up past his elbows. "We lost contact with the Red 5 team."

"They were checking out the area around the Genom research facility in Yokohama weren't they?" Reika took her feet from the desk and stood up.

"Yes."

"Am I wrong in thinking that Genom might be responsible?"

"If Genom feels threatened then they could have easily done anything." Kou did not bother to mention she had been adamant about sending people close to Genom property against his advice.

"We will no longer send our people close to Genom property if they will not allow them to operate unmolested." There was a quaver in her voice and its tone passed uncomfortably near hysteria.

"Odotte-san has requested your company at lunch, one PM today, Marion's, five star, semi-formal dress, within a kilometre of the Tower."

"Why?"

"You did agree share information."

"Or maybe she wants to gloat."

"I'll send word you cannot make it if you wish."

"No Kou, I'll go. What did she say about dates?"

"Her secretary did not specify."

"You'll come then. Now about the backup we are expecting from..."

"Reika get some sleep."

"Pardon?"

"If you are going to be dealing with Odotte you will need to be at your best if you don't want to end up signing your shares in Kyuusei over to her. You'll also want to be sharp, she may let on more than she knows if you are awake enough to listen."

"Kou, I do have responsibilities..."

"To be blunt, you will be worse than useless if you don't get some rest. You have enough problems on this mission without having to deal with exhaustion. Get some sleep."

"All right. I shouldn't be letting you talk to me like this."

"Only if I were talking to you as an employee."

"Relationships within the work place are problematic." She walked up to Kou and pulled on his tie, lifting her chin. Their lips brushed. "You look like you could use some sleep as well. Come with me?"

"I'm not much sure we'd get much sleep."

"Don't flatter yourself." Reika laughed. "I really don't want to be alone, not in this city."

"Let's go." He placed his arm around her shoulders.

Reika leaned into him, placing her head on his chest.

"Kou when will this be over?"

"If you wish to continue as you are now, then it never ends."

"Cheery thoughts to go to bed with."

"I don't lie very well to people I care for."

"Why am I not sure whether that is a good or bad thing?" Reika yawned.

* * *

Mark Kaneda blew a cloud of smoke into the air over the conference table, adding to the heavy scent of tobacco that already permeated the room. Katherine could not stand the man's habit of chain smoking when he was nervous. It was so obvious, as well as annoying.

She was careful not to show it, not to cough, to give nothing away.

Domino Odotte looked as if she was completely unaware of it, with the dead pan face she always wore, never giving anything away.

Samantha Johnson smoked as well, but she seemed to be a retaliatory smoker. She never lit a cigarette up unless someone else did first. It was sort of childish but other than that she hid her true feelings almost well as Odotte.

Kenji Sousuke blinked his red rimmed eyes almost constantly, coughed more than was necessary whenever the smoke got a little too thick on his side of the table. He had a harmless, grandfatherly look to him. Of course there was nothing harmless about him.

Manabe Takeo was the shark of the group. His freshly pressed Armani suit, the perfect, short black hair, brown eyes that always seemed to be looking past you, gave him a certain noble bearing. Katherine liked him least of all. That Odotte seemed to dislike him, not that there was anything obvious about it, as well interested her.

Of course Takeo had been one of Mason's followers, for lack of a better word, and if the rumours were to be believed, Odotte had been as well.

Odotte was still a mystery to Katherine, she was not who she said she was but Quincy knew that. Attempts to discover more about her had met with failure. She had to admit that the woman was very polite about it.

Not a single one of her operatives had been hurt when they had been sent back to her with polite warnings. Except for Kiyotaka, and considering his tendency for rudeness a broken arm was minor.

There were several empty seats around the table, those of their number who had not survived the situations of the last few days.

"We have a number of problems," Katherine said.

"I was not aware," Manabe said sarcastically.

"The damage Genom has suffered during the unpleasantness with Hou Bang is the first thing we must be concerned with," Katherine said, as if Manabe had never spoken.

"We are already moving to repair the damage," Kenji said in his soft voice. "Resources have been transferred to make up short falls and prop things up where needed. In a month you will not know this happened."

Katherine nodded, making a note. She was not surprised that Kenji had things in hand. He was good at it. And his harmless look protected him.

"Current situation with Hou Bang?"

"Fine," Domino said. "Young Miss Chang is attempting to bring things under control, and over reacting in a number of ways. She gives away much in her attempts. We watch and learn."

"Why are they letting her do so?" Manabe asked.

"Because the Chang group needs a successor and the Elder Chang is willing to let her make those mistakes so that she will learn."

"Stupid of him," Manabe snorted.

Domino levelled her gaze on him for a moment. He stared back. She knew what he thought about her, that she had slept her way to the top, either with Quincy, or Devon. She let people think that, it made them sloppy around her. "Do you think so?"

"Of course. The old man is obviously senile." Manabe waved a hand dismissively. "We should deal with the Chang Group now."

"Unfortunate that both Shosan-san and Harrison-san are dead, they would have agreed with you," Katherine said, reminding Manabe that he no longer had a support group. She hid a smile as she saw her words had found their mark.

"Yes, unfortunate that they," he stressed 'they' ever so slightly, "died."

"Enough of this," Samantha said, stubbing her latest cigarette out. "It gets us no where."

"Yes," Mark nodded, lighting up a fresh cigarette, then holding his gold lighter towards Samantha so she could light up hers. "We've dealt with Hou Bang before, we will deal with them again. We know what to do. I really don't care if Chang-san's granddaughter sells us all her shares at a fraction of their cost. What I want to know about is this blood agent that might be in the country."

"Of course," Domino said, seeing that as her cue. "As you know, this is one of Hou Bang's little embarrassments. They have a company within their fold that plays rather fast and loose, as it were. I'm sure that they will deal with the problem sooner or later, but that does not concern us, yet."

"Fine. Where is it?" Manabe asked.

"That is a very good question," Domino said, looking over at Manabe. Mason had actually liked the man. Obviously he had not had good taste in everything. "Without a very good answer I'm afraid. You have all read the specs on the storage device. It is quite possible that the threat has already been rendered harmless."

"And it might not have," Katherine countered.

"Very true. That is why Chang-san is putting so many resources into finding it. That is why we are preparing for all possibilities. We have done all we can. Now we just have to wait and see what happens. Right now I'm more concerned about what is occurring with Prometheus Bound."

"I'm not sure if I consider those people much of a threat," Mark said, blowing smoke as he talked.

"I would have to disagree," Samantha said. "We've seen what they can do properly armed. They are also a public relations nightmare. This most recent demand, for example, could blow up in our face."

"True." Katherine nodded. "We are not, however, going to remove all boomer construction facilities from this city."

"Of course not," Manabe said, slapping his open palm against the dark wood of the conference table.

"It would be rather problematic," Kenji said.

"Perhaps just one."

All heads turned towards Domino. "This will get into the media's hands tonight, tomorrow at the latest. I have no doubt that the Terrorists will carry though on their threat. We of course can spin this to keep as much blame from ourselves as possible, but I'd rather start damage control now."

"How do you propose to do that," Samantha demanded.

Domino looked over at the woman. Samantha Johnson had climbed the Genom ladder the hard way, earning every rung she took. She did not like Domino. "The factory in Shinagawa, we were planning on closing it in a year. We close it now."

"And the six hundred people who work there?" Samantha asked, a little bite to her tone.

"We move the factory to Hokkaido, as planned. Workers who wish to go can transfer, I suspect half will choose to do so. The remaining will be employed when we convert the factory over to make engines for the new series of cars Genom will be building."

"That factory was supposed to be set up in Mexico," Katherine said.

"Yes. Unfortunately President Carlos took a strong anti-Genom stand two days ago. This should be punishment enough. We'll also give some support to his political enemies, just to keep our hand in Mexico."

The people at the table looked at each other, then, after a long moment began to nod. No one there liked it when someone else came up with a good idea, but they accepted them nonetheless. Quincy was willing to put up with corporate politics, as long as they did not compromise Genom in any way.

"We'll make the announcements in the hour," Mark said. "We'll have our media people play it up."

"Well and good," Manabe said, "but what do we do if a bunch of Prometheus Bound idiots start tearing through the city with GD-42s, and that is what we are worried about."

"Combat boomers?" Samantha suggested.

"Not a wise idea," Katherine said. "That would actually strengthen Prometheus Bound claims."

"Fire fighting models," Domino said. "We'll say we want a chance to field test new units, put them into all the fire fighting companies in the city, no cost."

"It will help," Katherine said. "It still does not deal with the problem though."

"I haven't finished," Domino said, then paused, leaving them hanging. "We will program them with temporary combat protocols. They may not be actual combat models, but they are built around a combat frame."

"Yes." Katherine nodded. "We could have them in place in thirty hours. Very good."

"Fine," Manabe said. "Anything else?" He was not particularly happy with the way things had gone. He had lost two supporters, weakening his position among the executives, but it also seemed this Domino woman was becoming a threat. Why couldn't she have just been the stupid slut he had expected?

"Yes," Katherine said. "There is, of course, more to this than shows, which should not surprise any of you. At the same time Prometheus Bound was making this threat, we received another. Someone else, telling us that they would support the terrorists, not only causing great damage to our property in the city, but sullying our reputation if we did not meet certain demands.

"What demands?" Samantha asked.

"Information concerning the black box aspects of boomer technology, the real secrets."

"Ridiculous," Kenji said, his voice raising slightly. "We would do no such thing."

"Agreed," Katherine nodded, "but it shows us that there are more levels to this than we might have expected. I suggest we all be very careful. I am handling this aspect of things, with the Chairman's blessing. I just wanted you to know." That was polite speak for telling them it was hers and they would not find out any more from her.

"It seems we are taking a number of chances here," Manabe said.

"She who dares, wins," Domino said.

"True," Katherine nodded. "I think we are all in basic agreement on what has to be done. Does anyone disagree?"

While few there were particularly happy about anything, they did not see any reason to change the course they were on.

"I believe this meeting is over," Katherine said.

"Good," Manabe got up, grabbed his briefcase and walked to the door. "I'm unsealing us," he said, tapping the code into the keypad.

The door opened, connecting the room back with the real world, as it were. A number of rooms in Genom were designed for complete privacy. The walls were shielded and there were no connections to the outside world that a signal might be piggybacked on.

Manabe went out, followed by Samantha, then Mark. Kenji sat in his chair for a while, then seemed to notice that Domino and Katherine were not going anywhere. He got to his feet, bowed to them, then walked from the room.

Katherine vented the room for a minute before sealing the door. The air, no longer cloyed with cigarette smoke, was not as unpleasant.

Domino had crawled under the table, undignified as that was, to reappear a short time later holding a small device.

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"Recording device. Manabe-san planted it." She placed it one the table, then took her shoe off. "He really should learn to not be so curious." She drove the heel of her shoe down against the recording chip. It broke with a satisfying crunch.

"If he were a little more competent he might be a threat." Katherine resumed her seat.

"I would not discount him out of hand," Domino put her shoe back on then returned to her chair. "One of the men from Toronto, Keith Otton, was found dead in his hotel in Venice. Professional hit."

"They, whoever they are, are cleaning up after themselves."

"So it would appear."

"We'll have to find those that remain, soon."

"People, of course, are on it, as you know. Mr. Davis and his associates are very good at disappearing."

"We'll just have to be better at finding them. Is there anything else?"

"No."

Katherine got to her feet. "We have work to do."

Domino nodded as the other woman walked to the door and opened it. She got to her feet, picked up her valise, and followed Katherine out of the room.

* * *

_"The master who governs his domain well loves wise retainers, while the man who exploits the people loves flatterers"  
_- **Imagawa Sadayo**


	11. Flash Powder 5

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
** An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 5 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999; 2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Domino was accosted the instant she entered her office by one of her secretaries, Haruko Tetsu. The young woman was very efficient, she worked hard, was willing to work on a Sunday, and had made advances toward Domino twice.

She held a stack of papers, several computer disks and the determined look on her face said she was going to get Domino to do some of the drudge work if it killed them both.

"Tetsu-kun, it can wait." Domino tried to slide by her.

"But it can't Odotte-san." Without seeming to move she had blocked Domino once again.

"It can't?" She arched an eyebrow and put a slight hint of a threat in her voice.

"If you don't okay these we won't have a budget next month."

Domino wanted to tell her to hang the budget, she could embezzle any funds necessary. Unfortunately the young woman was not privy to the office's real work. And embezzling was not really the best way to do things.

"Is D back yet?"

"Not yet Odotte-san." She smiled slightly, seeing that she had won.

"Let's get this done quickly." Domino slid by her and walked to her private office. She pushed the door open and ushered Haruko in before entering and closing the door behind her.

"You need to okay this, this, and these." She placed two computer disks and a small pile of papers in front of her.

"What else." Domino pushed both disks into her computer, split the screen and looked them over.

"Do you still want to increase the office staff?"

"Yes, the chairman has increased our area of responsibility. D will be handling it." Domino tapped a few keys.

"Then that is it."

"Good. Here." Domino pulled one of the disks out and handed it to Haruko. "This is fine. As for this one." She pulled the second disk out. "Tell finance if they try to cut my funding even by a percentage point I will have to come down there myself and remind them of the privileges of power."

"Yes ma'am."

Domino began to flip through the pages, reading over the document. She looked over the pages at Haruko who was tapping the keys of her palmtop computer.

The young woman had potential. She was intelligent, driven, did not seek too much power and was loyal. Domino wondered if she could be trusted to know more of the truth. She knew that many people preferred not to know the truth. Most of the employees in the Tower would hate to learn what Genom was capable of.

Once she let Haruko see the truth there would be no turning back for her. It was a big decision to make for someone else. Still, she represented a tool. Domino always used tools and opportunities when they presented themselves.

"Tetsu-kun, do you like music?"

"Music?"

"Are you familiar with the works of Vision?"

"I have all of her recordings, and I was at her last concert."

It was an interesting card to play and it would throw Chang off. If Haruko was as intelligent as Domino thought she would realise what was going on. It would be an effective way to introduce her to the power games.

"I'm having a business lunch today, I'd like you to come along. I'll understand of course if you are unable to do so. It is a Sunday after all."

"Me?" She sounded surprised.

"My luncheon companion cancelled and you would help to balance things out," Domino lied.

"I'd be happy to come."

"Good. This is fine." Domino handed Haruko the papers.

"What time..."

"We'll leave about 12:30."

"Thank you Odotte-sama." She got to her feet and bowed.

"Send D-san in as soon as she arrives." Domino did not look away from her computer screen as Haruko left.

Of course in all likelihood Tetsu-kun would see other things in the invitation. She almost wished that Haruko were less capable. The young woman was attractive and her somewhat clumsy and naive advances had some charm. But Domino would not combine more responsibility with a relationship. It set a very bad precedent.

D entered her office nearly an hour later.

"It's done." D told her.

"Good." Domino got up from her seat. "Here." She handed D a computer disk.

"What's this?"

"Notes on Chang-san's band, the Revengers. If possible I would like one of them to have an accident. It will give Chang-san something else to worry about."

"Fatal?"

"That would be best."

"Traceable in any way?"

"No. As far as anyone will be concerned it will be nothing but an accident. I don't care if Chang-san is positive I ordered it as long as she never can prove it.

"I'll get some of our best people on it."

"I'll be having lunch with Chang-san at one. Arrange for some bodyguards, you'll be busy."

"Oh?"

"I want you to check all the locations on this disk by tomorrow." Domino took a disk from her pocket and held it out. "Everything is protected by the Delta 2 encryption protocols."

"Very important?" D took the disk.

"Potentially embarrassing as well."

"I see. I'll start right away." D bowed and walked towards the door.

"Watch your back." Domino returned to her seat behind the desk.

"Pardon?" D asked as she opened the door.

"The way things are these days, certain people within the Tower may be looking to forward their own goals."

"I understand." D left the office and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Sylia stood by the windows of her living room, the vertical blinds wide open. Back-lit as she was by the late afternoon sun her blue-black hair seemed to glow.

Priss sat on the bench in front of the grand piano that Sylia had recently moved into the room. In an absent minded way she played the fingers of her left hand over the keys, depressing them so lightly the hammers barely caused the strings to vibrate. Occasionally she would press a key a little too hard and a single, soft note would fill the room.

Nene leaned back on the couch, her closed laptop upon her knees, a china cup and saucer set atop it. She had ended her trip to Sendai a little early after getting Sylia's call. She had not planned to be back in MegaTokyo until later that evening.

Linna was sitting cross-legged on a footstool, her hands grasping her ankles. Sunday was usually a break day for her; Andrea did not have rehearsals on Sunday. She was glad Sylia had not called the meeting until late. She was happy to have been able to sleep in.

Mackie was on the opposite side of the couch from Nene, a laptop on his own lap, though he was working on his.

"So what is the deal?" Priss asked.

"We have been hired by a certain individual to provide various services," Sylia told her.

"That's rather ambiguous," Priss said.

Sylia nodded. She took a small remote from her pocket and pressed a button on it. The curtains closed as the lights in the room came up. A low, almost annoying hum filled the room. The white noise generator. "We have been hired by the Chang Group to help them with an operation within the city."

"Them again? Who do they want to kill this time?"

"Not nice Priss," Linna said.

"There are a number of aspect to this job. What they come down to is that the a number of companies under the Hou Bang umbrella have had certain products stolen from them. Some of these products are weapons, and some of them have, possibly, ended up in MegaTokyo."

"What kind of weapons?" Nene asked.

"Personal arms, armour, mostly small things. The exceptions are a number of GD-42s. You no doubt remember them."

"GD-42, A3s," Mackie said.

"That means?" Priss asked.

"The A3s are designed for urban settings," Mackie told her, not looking up from his laptop. "The armour is lighter than the one you fought, but it is faster, better able to use the buildings around it as cover. It can also jump much higher. More manoeuvrable all around."

"Can my rail gun crack it?"

Mackie looked up from the laptop, lost in thought for a moment. "Maybe, in some places. I can feed that information into your targeting computer."

"Good."

"The GD-42s are something we may have to deal with, but there is something else as well," Sylia told them.

"Which is?" Linna asked. She did not know what Reika had hired them for yet.

"Also stolen from one of their companies was a blood agent called AF-5."

"Blood agent?" Priss asked.

"It's a chemical weapon. Quite destructive," Sylia told her. "Similar to hydrogen cyanide, it prevents transfer of oxygen from the blood to the body tissues."

"Wait, are you saying that someone has brought nerve gas into the city?"

"Not a nerve gas, but, the same idea."

"Well why isn't anyone evacuating the city?" Priss asked Sylia.

"Because the city officials do not know about it."

Priss stared at Sylia. "What am I missing?"

"Are we safe?" Nene asked.

"Safe? I would say we are not in any danger at this point in time. Mackie." Sylia looked over at her brother.

"Okay," Mackie tapped a few keys on the laptop. The liquid crystal screen on the wall began to display what was on his computer. "The chemical is stored in a cylinder, four meters long, with a diameter of fifty centimetres."

On the screen a cylinder was traced out. One end was blank, the other end had what looked like a keyboard, a small screen and a valve.

"Within the main cylinder are two secondary cylinders, each one three hundred and eight centimetres long, with a diameter of fifteen centimetres. These interior cylinders hold the chemicals, that when mixed together, in the right amounts, in the presence of a catalyst, will react to form AF-5."

"Clever," Priss said, sarcasm colouring her tone slightly.

"The main cylinder contains a gas that will react with either of the gasses in the secondary cylinders to render them harmless," Mackie continued.

"What's to keep someone from drilling into the main cylinder and venting the gas?" Linna asked.

"Explosive charges," Mackie told her. "Very difficult to get around. They are shaped, designed to limit the damage of the explosions while at the same time making everything so hot inside that all the chemicals involved undergo a number of reactions, which will again render the gasses harmless. It basically generates a short lived plasma within the cylinder."

"So how would the people who made this get the gas out?" Priss asked.

"The valves are opened by a code," Sylia said, taking over for Mackie. "A very difficult and long code. Over a thousand alphanumeric characters."

"Over a thousand?" Nene asked. "Who would bother to type that in?"

"They had a key device. Hand held, volatile memory, it contained the code. That device is still in the possession of the company."

"How did they generate the code?"

"Randomly," Sylia told Nene.

"That will take a long time to crack."

"That is the hope. Furthermore, every day a different code has to be entered or the computer will pump the same gas that is in the main cylinder into both secondary cylinders."

"How is that code decided?"

"They used an algorithm to generate three years worth of codes for each day. Those codes were then loaded into the computer, as well as the key device."

Nene nodded as she flipped open her computer.

"There is one more safety device," Mackie said. "Within each of the secondary cylinders are small, bubbles I guess you might call them, containing the same gas as is in the main cylinder. If things are handled too roughly, the bubbles pop, and once again the gas is rendered harmless."

"It is very likely that this is not a threat," Sylia said. "That it has already been rendered harmless. Hou Bang is not willing to take that chance."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Priss asked.

"It seems Chang-san believes that we have access to greater information sources than her. In a way she is both right and wrong. We do have access to more personal sources than Hou Bang in this city, and we know who is useful to speak to."

"So do we start talking to people? What do we ask them? It is not as if we can come out directly about this. I'm guessing no one wants a panicked evacuation of the city."

"I'm sure we all know how to ask discreet questions."

"Do we have to worry about the blood agent?" Linna asked.

Nene looked up from her computer. "To get the daily codes would take a lot of time and computer power. My guess is that would be what they would need to concentrate on. If they can get all the codes or more likely, a few days worth, they could turn their attention to breaking the release codes. I would guess that it would take several days before they could be a threat." She kept her tone calm, and tried to seek solace in the information she had just presented. The truth was the entire thing terrified her. A chemical weapon, used in Tokyo? Such a thing had not happened for almost forty years.

Sylia nodded at Nene's words. "I believe we have time. It is also important to remember that we are not alone in this. Hou Bang has dedicated a number of resources to the operation. I hope that all we will really need to do is be an extra combat resource for Chang-san."

"I guess there are a few people I could talk to," Priss said.

Nene nodded. "I have an idea."

"Sorry," Linna said. "I don't know anyone that could be of help, and I've got work to keep me on my toes."

"Is that a ballet reference?" Priss asked.

"Don't let it be a concern," Sylia told her. "I just want to be sure that you will be there when the time comes."

"As much as it will upset Kikuchi-sensei, I'll be there."

"Good. Keep me informed of anything you find out. Take no chances, stick with people you trust. If you need to check out a lead that has even the possibility of being dangerous, contact me first. I'll arrange for back up."

"Right," Priss said.

"I will," Nene said.

Linna nodded.

"Then that is everything," Sylia said, ending the meeting.

Priss and Linna did not stay long, but Nene remained behind. Sylia waited until Mackie had left before turning to Nene. "What is it you wish to speak about?" she asked the young woman.

"I'm worried about what might happen if the AF-5 is released," Nene said quietly.

Sylia nodded. "I don't blame you."

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"Informing people of this would cause panic. If whoever has control of the gas were to see the sort of mass evacuation this would cause, and if they were able to, they might release the blood agent."

"But..." Nene said, trailing off.

"You're worried about your parents," Sylia stated.

For a moment Nene said nothing, then she nodded. "I feel bad, because they are not the only ones in danger, but I can't worry about everyone, can I?" Unshed tears made Nene's eyes sparkle.

Sylia sighed, but then smiled. "With all the safeguards that are on the device I do not think there is any real worry. Still, I'd like you to have as few concerns as possible. I'll see what I can do."

"Pardon?"

"I'm not without resources," Sylia told her.

Nene looked at Sylia for a moment, then bowed down very low. "Domo Arigato gozaimashita Sylia-san(Thank you very much)."

Sylia laughed softly. "Go."

Nene nodded, thanked Sylia once more, then left.

* * *

Prop wash from the large engines gave Reika's hair a life of its own. She squinted her eyes against a hail of stinging grit. The cargo plane was a tilt rotor, Osprey Buffalo, one of five. They had come from a Kyuusei branch in China.

The makeshift landing field, though such a title was still too grandiose for the broken ground, was nearly two hundred kilometres from MegaTokyo. Osprey tilt rotors had been the only way to get the equipment and manpower they needed into the country as fast as required.

"How will they get into the city?" Reika had to shout to make her voice heard.

"We have a few tractor-trailers parked about three kilometres north of this location," Kou told her.

"What is this costing us?"

"Not as much as it might have. The bribes were not as bad as they could have been. And Genom is helping us."

"They should," Reika said, a hint of anger in her tone. Her lunch with Domino had not gone well. "They all have valid and stamped passports?" she asked, referring the men and women around them.

"All of them. When this is over, assuming we are willing to abandon the equipment, we can have everyone out of the country, legally, in about a day."

"We can trickle any of the important gear out of the country over a few months. It is the people I was worried about."

"Getting out of the country will be the least of their problems."

"I know. Let's go." She turned away from the plane and walked to her helicopter, waiting, like a dragonfly, with only a few of its running lights on.

The engine started as soon as she approached and a minute after she and Kou had entered and put on their restraint harnesses the helicopter took to the air.

"What happens if the authorities are forced to take notice of us?" Reika asked Kou several minutes later. "International law is not my speciality."

"No one is in the country illegally, according to any records that matter, though if they dig deep... I don't know how well our forgeries will hold up. Worse case scenario, well, espionage will be one thought on everyone's mind. If Kyuusei or any of the other members of the conglomerate accept responsibility, it will destroy them. Genom will only help us so far, and not to the their own detriment."

"What about the people themselves?"

"Arrested. Perhaps put to death. Depends on the overall atmosphere at the time of the trials. My guess is that if everything goes wrong, people will want blood."

"I hate this." Reika shook her head. "I simply can't stand that Odotte woman!"

"You shouldn't let her get to you."

"That girl with her, she actually asked me for an autograph."

"Yes, it was an interesting ploy on Odotte-san's part."

"You sound like you respect her."

"I do, as should you. Don't let your dislike for the woman colour your reactions."

"That girl, she had no idea what was going on at first did she?"

"No, she didn't."

"But she realised it, I could see it in her eyes, she suddenly realised that she was in deeper than she had ever thought possible. I felt for her Kou," she said softly.

"Odotte is a hard woman. Not the way I would choose to initiate someone into these games."

"She accepted it though, near the end she did. The way she looked at me, Kou, when they left, it said it all. She told me that she loved my music when we first met, that she respected me. That look at the end, I had become her enemy."

Kou said nothing, just looked at Reika, unable to give her the answers she wanted.

"I hate this," Reika said.

* * *

The Shinjuku Hard Rock Café had been something of a fixture in the district over the years. Trends had been set in the Cafe, new bands had made their debuts, old ones had made comebacks and launched tours from within its walls.

It had undergone a number of changes, three fires, the quake in 2025, a hostage situation in 2027 and six owners.

The most recent owner had purchased it from the previous one four months before. Priss had taken some interest in the change of ownership. Kano Toda was an old friend. They had ridden together, gang members, once.

She had been thinking about asking him to let her play his club. It would be a good venue for her and the band. She was not there about music though, not that night.

Kano had always had a way of knowing what was going on, a strong sense of self-preservation that had kept him alive. Priss thought she might see what he might know.

They were sitting in his office in the back of the club. He was behind a big desk, covered with papers, computer disks, and a number of other things. "So." He looked at Priss. "Been a while."

Priss noticed that there was something uncomfortable in his tone. He was not sure about seeing her, she realised. Not sure about all the memories it brought up. She remembered what Miako said. "Yeah. Doing well I see."

"I've been lucky. Made some smart moves."

"Like clearing out before everything went bad?"

"Is that what this is about? Some old vendetta? It's not my fault that Mamoru or the others died."

"I never said that," Priss told him.

"Do you think it?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"Maybe."

"I left when it all ended. We could only exist for that for so long. Mamoru knew it when everything began. He just got so caught up in that bushido, samurai crap that he forgot it."

Priss forced herself to relax, not wanting to get angry with Kano. "Maybe it was all he had left to believe in."

Kano dropped his eyes. "Well, that is a mistake."

"Maybe."

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"Strange things are going on in this city. Know anything?"

"Why would you want to know?"

"It's a dangerous place. Every now and then I like to get a feeling for what is going on. You were always good at that," she told him.

"Knowing when to run away?"

"If that is how you want to put it."

He looked at her for a moment, then opened his desk drawer and brought out a bottle of whisky and two glasses. "There are strange things going on in this city," he agreed as he filled the glasses.

"Like what?" she took the glass.

"I never try to find out. That was Mamoru-san's mistake."

Priss suddenly grasped her glass tighter, coming close to breaking it. She forced herself to be calm, relaxing her grip on the glass. "I'm not sure I'd call it a mistake." She took a drink of the whisky. "Perhaps a tragic flaw."

"You're romanticising what happened."

"And maybe you're forgetting he kept us alive." Priss put her glass on the desk hard enough to cause the liquid in it to splash out over her fingers.

"Until he screwed up."

Priss clenched her teeth, her hands clenching into fists. She stared across the desk at Kano. "He did not die just to inconvenience you."

A bit of colour appeared in Kano's cheeks and he dropped his eyes. "I know, but he still died, and there was no need." He looked up at her. "You weren't the only one who cared about him, or the only one who loved him you know."

Priss nodded, relaxing slightly. Miako had been right. There were some people you could not talk about the past with, not when you shared so much. "I know."

"I'm sorry Priss, if you want specific information, I can't give it to you. I just don't know anything like that. I do know that I am thinking of getting out of the city."

Priss nodded and took up her glass, finishing the whisky. "Got any idea where Yuki might be found there days?"

"As of a few months ago he was at a place called 'Jolines', in Roppongi."

"Thanks," Priss said as she got to her feet.

"Be careful."

"Why break a habit now?" Priss turned and started towards the door.

"Hey, Priss," he called.

"What?" She did not turn to face him.

"Next time you visit we'll talk about a couple of nights for your band in the club."

Priss stopped, her hand on the door handle. "I'll think about it," she said, then opened the door and left.

* * *

Yoshito knelt on the cracked cement of the basement floor. The building was condemned, no doubt soon to be torn down, but not too soon. It made a good base of operations, reasonably close to the Tower and the docks. Members of Prometheus Bound had cleared the building of the homeless that had used it. The place still smelt of stale urine.

A map of MegaTokyo covered the floor. He, some of his men, and a few of the sharper members of Prometheus Bound were gathered around it.

He tried to visualise the lay of the land in his head, where abandoned buildings like the one he was in could be found. They would make good cover. It would be best to stay in that sort of area whenever possible. Of course that was assuming that the members of Prometheus Bound could follow orders.

There were a number of Genom holdings that they were to hit if possible, the Tower included. It was not a target he would go after. It was possible the terrorists might be stupid enough to do so.

"What about the AD Police?" Shinso Gero asked him. "They may be a threat to us."

"You deal with them as best as possible. I hope that the fact you are obviously not boomers will confuse the matter. If the AD Police gets into an argument with the SDF over who has jurisdiction on this, neither may scramble until too late."

"Yes," he said, nodding.

"A lot to hope for," Lenore said. She was not entirely comfortable with sending people off to die. She would not stop them, but she wanted to at least feel if she was helping a little.

Yoshito stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. If they show up you should be able to deal with them." He looked at Shinso. "You are going to be using what amounts to a light tank. You will have the advantage."

Shinso smiled. "Yes, we do. We will make Genom listen to us."

"Of course," Yoshito told him. He noticed that Robert was rolling his eyes up and when he saw Yoshito was watching him he mouthed 'idiot'.

Yoshito agreed with him, but was not going to show it. His job was to make sure that the terrorists behaved as ordered.

"When do we go?" Shinso asked, looking excited.

"You go when it is obvious that Genom is not going to agree to your demands."

"They will never agree!"

"They announced that they were closing a factory down. Maybe that is the start?"

"I'm used to Genom treating me, and everyone, as an idiot. You will not do so!"

Yoshito stopped himself from smiling, knowing he could kill this Shinso before he would even know what was happening. "Of course. Still, those supplying you with the party favours are calling some of the shots. You owe them. You go when they want you to."

For a moment Shinso looked as if he was going to throw another tantrum. Yoshito had seen one already and Robert had told him he tended to throw one a day. Then he calmed himself. "Of course."

"I'm glad you understand. We should of course confirm the fall back points your people will use when this is all over."

They spoke for thirty more minutes before Shinso and his people left. Robert made sure that they were gone then told Yoshito that it was safe to talk.

"The gene pool will not miss those people," Yoshito said, taking a pack of cigarettes from his jacket.

"I hate working with people like that." Lenore shook her head. "I hate setting them up to die. It's just not clean."

"The customer is always right, and the more you are paid, the righter the customer is."

"So why aren't you working as a prostitute?"

"Lenore, you know as well as I do that there is no room for honour in this job. You knew the job was distasteful when you took it. That still doesn't keep you from spending the money. So will an extra ten thousand ease your conscience or do you need enough to buy a new car?"

"Fuck you."

"Yeah, fuck me. Let's stop fucking around here. I need these idiots pumped up on a sense of indestructibility if they are going to go out there and make a big stink and get themselves killed. I don't need you making them think they might fail or get killed. Got it?"

She stared at him for a while, her jaw set in a defiant grimace. Then she looked away. "I understand."

"Good," he said. "Keep on your toes people. This will all be over soon and we can get the hell out of this place."

* * *

**February 13, Monday, 09:00**

Nene breezed into the communication room and took a seat behind her desk, immediately setting to work. There were some surprised stares at that, most of the other communications techs were still just settling into the day. Things were still quiet and the AD Police were enjoying something of a rest.

Naoko was walking towards Nene when the phone beside the redhead rang. Nene picked it up, and after a very quick conversation hung it up and turned towards her computer.

"You seem rather chipper this morning," Naoko said.

"Do I?" Nene asked.

Naoko was a little taken aback when she saw how fretful Nene looked. "Well, maybe not. Is something wrong?"

"No. What could be wrong?" Nene asked. Of course she knew what was wrong. A rather deadly blood agent called AF-5.

"Nothing I guess." Naoko was getting a little confused.

Nene made herself calm down a little. "Nothing is wrong, I just have some things on my mind, and yet more work."

"What?"

"Evidence just called me, they want me to help with cataloguing everything down in the vaults."

"Lucky you."

"Tell me about it," Nene tapped a key on her keyboard and the printer beside her began to hum. "Now I have to tell Harrison-san that I won't be around."

"Things are quiet here. I'm sure she won't mind."

"You are more hopeful than I," Nene said, pulling the request that had just printed out from the printer tray.

"Look at it this way, you might get to work with Akamura-san. She's always fun."

Nene nodded. If she really was going to spend the day down in the vaults, cataloguing boomer bodies and parts, then spending that time with the ADP forensics specialist, Kaneko Akamura, might be fun. "We'll see." She walked over to her immediate supervisor's desk.

"What is it Romanova-san?" Madoka Harrison asked.

"They need some help down in evidence," Nene told her as she put the request on the desk.

Madoka took a look at it and shook her head. "Don't they have their own people? Well, get out of here."

"Hai," Nene said, turning to go.

"Wait a second," Madoka suddenly called out.

Nene turned back towards her, wondering if she had realised that the request was a fake. "Hai?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Nene looked at the woman for a moment, wondering what she was talking about.

"Tomorrow is the fourteenth," she prompted.

Nene almost asked her why that was so important, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, right. How much do I owe?" she walked back to the desk.

"Four thousand yen."

"Right." Nene reached into her purse and them removed her wallet. She opened it up and took out four bills that she put on Madoka's desk.

She nodded as she picked them up. "Now go."

Nene nodded and left. Valentines Day tomorrow, she had forgotten, kind of. She was glad it was not her job to buy all the giri choko(obligation chocolate) for all the men in the building. Still, she was going to have to pick up a few things. Later, she told herself, hurrying to the elevators.

She took it down to the lobby, then headed for the motor pool. She knew the chances of anyone checking up on her were pretty slim. She should have the day to herself now. It was a rather brilliant idea she had thought up for skipping work. Of course she would not be able to use it all that often, if ever again.

Getting one of the Honda Today patrol cars from the motor pool was not difficult at all. While the motor pool staff were very picky about who they allowed to drive certain vehicles, the Today was not one of those. Nene knew she would have no chance at signing out something like a Road Chaser, or its less powerful version, which was a little annoying. Why should she not be able to drive a Road Chaser? Why was it only officers like Leon got to?

Probably because they go out and get shot at, Nene thought as she put the car in gear and pulled out of the garage. She'd stick with the dependable Today.

* * *

Linna missed her cue and came on a beat too late. She used a little hop-step that brought her in line with the rest of the dancers and did not look too obvious. So she thought.

Andrea got up from her seat, signalled the musicians to stop, and then walked to the stage. "Yamazaki-san, is your mind on something else today?" she asked.

"No Kikuchi-sensei," Linna lied. Of course her mind was on something else, the people of MegaTokyo might be in great danger and she could not say anything.

"Well, it looks as if you are thinking about something else because I know that you are not thinking about the dance."

"I'm sorry Sensei."

"We're going to do it again, and this time I want you to give your full attention to the dance."

"Hai Sensei."

Andrea nodded and went back to her seat. She signalled the musicians who began the opening strain of the music. The dancers took their places, Linna moved off the stage. She forced her attention to the music, listening to it.

That time she came out on the right note, and kept her dancing sharp by concentrating on it. In the back of her mind, she was still worried.

* * *

_Two passes and already Priss was breathing hard, panting. Her riding leathers had been cut twice, her blade had yet to cut anything._

_To either side of her a line of motorcycles were parked, their headlights illuminating the section of overpass that had become a killing ground._

_In front of her, breathing as hard as she, a young woman stood. Karen Nagai, member of a rival cycle gang. Karen was taller than Priss and had the advantage of height and reach. The Gerber Mk 2 she fought with gave her yet another advantage. It was a good fighting knife._

_Priss' lock blade was shorter, but the slight curve in the blade made it good for slashing. It was also easier to conceal. At that moment she wished she had a longer blade._

_Sliding her lead foot forward she shifted her weight onto it, getting ready to move. If she made it work Karen would be facing the lights of the motorcycles; she could then come in on her side._

_Karen must have anticipated it though, she shifted her weight slightly. Priss aborted the attack. In a few breaths each of them set up, and then gave up attacks when they saw the other counter them with a slight shift in balance or in the way the blades were held._

_Priss feinted, Karen came in, blade leading._

_Bending her knees slightly Priss let the blade pass over her left shoulder. She used a backhand slash that should have opened the other woman's abdomen._

_Karen sucked her stomach in and threw her butt back. It was an inelegant move but all Priss' knife cut was clothing._

_She came in, with a quick overhand strike. Priss could not hope to get out of the way._

_Throwing up her arm Priss took the strike, a burning pain running through her arm as the knife slid through the her riding leathers and skin, cutting to the bone. She felt the serrated edge of the weapon saw along her ulna._

_Ignoring the pain Priss pushed her arm up, getting Karen's weapon out of the way. She stabbed forward with her knife, burying it in Karen's chest._

_Priss slumped back, barely able to keep her feet under her. Karen fell to the asphalt. All in all Priss was happy to be exhausted and bleeding. The alternative was not something she wanted to dwell on._

_Her pack mates cheered her, money changed hands, a group of people rushed forward to pick up Karen, putting her into a beat up sedan, probably hoping to get her to medical aid. Stab wounds might attract police attention. They might not. The police were still recovering from the damage the quake had done._

_A young man was at her side, shorter than her, slim, almost feminine in appearance. Priss doubted his real name was Yuki, as he always maintained. She did not care though. He was a great medic. He had one of the med kits they had stolen from a Red Cross truck a year before._

_She sat on the cracked asphalt of the damaged overpass and let him stitch the cut up. Around her were the sounds of celebration. The challenge of one to one combat had been met. They held their territory for another month. For what it was worth._

* * *

Priss sat upright in her bed, much to her regret as her forehead banged against the ceiling of the trailer. She dropped back into her bed, placing the heel of her right hand against her head. That had hurt.

It had been a long time since she had thought about her pack mates, and a long time since she had given any thought to the fights she had been in. Must have come from visiting Kano, and maybe her talks with Miako.

Reaching above her head she unclipped the watch from the headboard and held it above her face. Nearly ten. She almost never woke up that early.

"Damn," Priss muttered, returning the watch to the headboard.

Sliding from her bed she climbed down the short ladder from the bed loft to the trailer floor.

Priss pulled off her night-shirt and let it fall, then walked to her bathtub.

She did not bother to light up the gas heater before turning on the taps. Cupping her hands she let them fill up with cold water then splashed it across her face. She repeated the process several times until cold water was running down her chest, then turned the taps off. Grabbing a towel from the rack close by she dried herself off then wiped up the water that had splashed on the floor.

After hanging the towel back on the rack to dry, she walked back to the raised platform her bed was on. Goose flesh covered her skin and she shivered, feeling the dull ache of many old wounds.

She thought about Nagai, and that fight. She wondered what had happened to the woman. Had she died? Had she been arrested by the police? Was she married, taking care of a kid or two, living a dull, but safe life?

Priss did not know. It was likely that she was dead. That was just the odds. Most of those that had run in the gangs had died. Violence, drugs, disease, other things, they had all had added together to make the chances of surviving in one of those gangs very slight.

Priss was one of those survivors. Yay for me, she thought.

Climbing part way up the ladder she reached across her bed to the clothes rack on the other side. Rifling through the outfits Priss chose one of her better looking pieces of riding gear.

She hung the outfit on the top rung of the ladder and the looked under her bed for some clean underwear.

A few minutes later she was dressed in a pair of new, clean, black jeans, a dove grey blouse and her wine coloured, leather jacket. She pulled on a pair of knee high riding boots then opened the rear door of the trailer.

Grabbing her bike by the handlebars she rocked it off its centre stand then walked it down the ramp onto the street.

Putting it on its kick stand she returned to her trailer, made sure everything was secured then closed and locked the rear door.

She got onto her bike and started it up, revving the engine up high a few times before letting out the clutch and heading out. It was too early, but she wanted to get out, get some fresh air, and enjoy the weak February sunshine while it was there.

* * *

Nene liked Akihabara. The electric town was one of her favourite places to go, next to Shinjuku, and Shibuya, and Harajuku on Sundays. She always liked looking at the new pieces of technology that came out, wandering through the showcases and department stores. Sometimes she bought stuff, but never for her computers.

When it came to computers she stuck to the small, back street stores. Tiny, cluttered places that had bits of home cooked gear and items that were in the grey area of legality. Wandering around those places in her ADP uniform might cause problems for her. Fortunately there was only one place she was planning on going, and she was known there.

The shop she walked towards did not look like much. Tucked between a restaurant and a video store, there was nothing to make it stand out. The widows were covered by security bars and the glass was covered by old, yellowing newspaper. There was no name to suggest that the place was currently a business of any sort, and the front door was prone to sticking.

Anyone determined enough to try the door, and give it a hard enough pull to open, might very well turn about and walk out once they saw the interior.

There were boxes stacked on boxes, and various electronic components strewn about in a haphazard way. The walls were covered in posters advertising games three or four years old, most of them pornographic. Nene did not turn around a walk out-as many might-she knew the shop well.

" 'lo Romanova-chan," a man who looked to be in his thirties called out. He had wild, brown hair and brown eyes. He sat behind a counter strewn with the parts of something, his socked feet up on it. He had a keyboard across his lap and was typing away.

"Johnson-san, Ohayo Gozaimasu(good morning)."

"So, the ADP out to bust me?"

"I'm not here on business," she said as she threaded through the boxes. "I'm actually playing hooky."

"I see. You give the ADP the same sort of work quality you gave me." He smiled.

"When did I ever give you less than sterling work?"

"Well, I suppose you are right. So, what is it you want? I still haven't got those Israeli mother boards you wanted."

"Actually, that is not why I'm here, though you did promise you'd have them for me by now."

"Sorry Nene-chan. Sometimes my sources just dry up."

"I'll make do for now. I need some information."

"This official in any way?"

"The ADP never hears about this."

"Okay." He swung his feet off the counter and put the key board aside. "Talk to me."

"Someone will be looking for some serious computing power."

"How serious?"

"My kind of serious."

"That serious?" He gave it some thought. "Could they go legit? You know, buy the computer time off someone legal?"

"Very doubtful."

"And they'd have to build something here?"

"That's what I am thinking."

"Got a time frame?"

"The last week maybe."

He thought about it for a moment, then turned around, opening a drawer behind him. While it all looked easy, Nene knew that cabinet behind him was very secure. She had worked in the shop when she had first come to MegaTokyo. In fact she had built the gear she used to crack Sylia's add in the very shop.

"Look at these," he said, putting a small case on the counter. He flipped it open. Inside, nestled in foam packing, were three boomer AI chips. Nene let out a soft whistle of appreciation as she put her hand on the metal frame of the counter, grounding herself. She then reached for one of the chips, removing it.

Grounding herself had not been necessary. The plasteel casing could protect the chip from much more than a little static charge. The chip was seven centimetres long, three wide, and five millimetres thick, like every boomer AI chip. A single lead came from it.

Nene had no idea what was inside the casing. As far as she knew one could count the people who did know on the fingers of one hand. She was certain that Sylia was one of them. The AI chips were one of the major pieces of Black Box tech that Genom used to maintain control of he boomer market.

She looked at the serial number on it, noting that it had come from a C-class boomer. Hard to get considering Genom designed boomers to short the entire thing out if someone tried to remove it without proper authorisation.

There were ways to get around that, such as destroying the boomer so fast it did not have time to react in such a way. Nene's work with the Knight Sabers had allowed her to pick up three chips in total. Two were in her computer, and one she had tried to dissect to see what made it tick. She had never had a chance.

"So," Nene said, placing the chip back. "Someone wants one of these things?"

"Someone wants two," he told her, closing the box.

"Two? Well, that sounds promising. Who is it?"

"You remember Genjiro right?"

Nene closed her eyes as she tried to remember the name. "No," she finally said.

"Giovanni Genjiro, he came in here when you worked for me."

"Tall guy, dark skin, extremely handsome with dark eyes and curly hair?"

"No. No one like that ever came in here."

"Must have been a dream then," Nene said as she smiled, a far off look in her eyes.

"Nene-chan, pay attention."

"What?"

"Genjiro used to come in here and buy parts. He was bean-pole thin, wore glasses, bad skin at the time, are you sure you don't remember him?"

"No. Should I?"

Johnson laughed, "He was very much in love with you."

"Pardon?"

"Well, love is probably not the right word. He used to come in here and go through entire boxes of stuff, all the while sneaking looks at you."

"I honestly don't remember him."

He laughed again. "Well, don't tell him that if you ever see him. It will probably crush the poor guy."

"Fine. So he wants two. Is that normal?"

"Normal?" He looked at Nene, arching an eyebrow. "Since when is normal an adjective we use around here?"

"Anything special about Giovanni-san?"

"You really did not notice him did you?"

"Again, no."

"Genjiro is the Stradivarius of the hardware set."

"Stradivarius?"

"You kids," Johnson shook his head. "Let's just say Genjiro builds some of the best hardware in the city. You may be the only skater in this city that does not know that."

"When is he coming to pick up the chips?"

"Later on tonight."

"Can you tell me where he lives?"

"This has nothing to do with the ADP?"

"No."

"He's not going to get in any trouble?"

"Not from me."

"Okay Nene-chan, because it is you. Give me a minute," he said, then got up and walked into the back of the store.

Nene, left on her own, began to look around. She did not really need anything, and until she got those motherboards there was not much new she could do with her computer. Still, Johnson's shop was one of her favourite places.

She looked into one of the boxes, moving around the odds and ends there. It was hard to be sure what was what in some cases, everything was wrapped in the blue, anti-static plastic, nothing was labelled.

She left the box and walked over to a cardboard barrel near the counter. On top of it was the severed arm of a boomer. She moved the arm to the side, then shifted the objects on top around a bit so she could get an idea what was there. When she found the dead cat she let out a gasp and jumped back. The boomer arm fell to the floor with a dull clang.

"What's up?" Johnson asked as he came out from the back.

"There's a dead cat here," Nene said.

"It's not dead," Johnson said as he walked towards the barrel.

"Oh, so it just sleeps under a bunch of computer components."

"It's not asleep either," he told her, reaching in and picking the cat up by the scruff of its neck. It hung there limply, looking dead to Nene. "It's a boomer, basically."

"A boomer cat?"

"Yeah. Boomer pets. An idea Genom had a few years back. Never went very far, what with all the boomers going nuts like they were, who'd want to get a pet that might do the same. As I understand it Genom recycled the entire run, except for a few ones like Lucky here."

"Its name is Lucky?" Nene asked, taking a closer look at the cat now that she knew it was not dead. It was black all over, except for then ends of its paws, which were white. It was a fairly small cat, thin boned, looking more like an older kitten than an adult cat.

"Doubtful. But seeing as it was not chopped up and recycled I'd say it was pretty lucky."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Chop it up. I've heard that the AI chips they put in these things have a sort of feral cunning to them. Probably would make a wild hacking deck."

"You're going to chop it up?"

"Yes."

"That's cruel!" Nene said.

"Come on Nene-chan. The thing is just a collection of parts," he gave it a hard shake. "It's lost its programming, so even if you were to power it up it would not be a cat."

Nene looked as the limp form jerked about. Johnson was right of course, but still... "How much for it?"

"What?"

"How much for it?"

He looked at her for a moment. "You are kidding aren't you?"

"No," Nene said, her jaw set.

"Fine. Four hundred thousand yen."

Nene nodded and reached into her uniform jacket for her wallet.

"Well, it's your money," he said, walking over to the counter and laying the limp form of the cat down. "You know that you'll never get it to function."

"Then it will just be a stuffed animal."

"Pretty expensive toy," he said.

Nene said nothing as she handed him one of her bank cards. Johnson reached under the counter and brought forth a reader that he ran the card through. "Enter your code," he told her, handing her the authorisation keypad.

She took it, put her thumb on the reader, and then entered her PIN code.

The reader beeped happily as the transaction was okayed. Nene handed the keypad back to Johnson. "Well, you are the proud owner of a dead cat," he told her.

"It's not dead," Nene said. "Can you put that in a box or something?"

"I thought you'd just put a collar on it and drag it behind you with a leash," he said as he reached for a box.

"You're terrible!"

Johnson laughed as he put the limp body into a box, then sealed it up. "Here's Genjiro's address, in case you still care about that," he said, holding out a folded slip of paper.

"Thank you," Nene said, taking the paper and putting it into her wallet.

"Just don't get him in trouble."

"I promise." She picked up the box, tucking it under her arm-it was heavier than she had expected.

"Take care of yourself Romanova-chan," he told her.

Nene nodded, then turned around and walked towards the door.

* * *

_"Elegant Things A white coat worn over a violet waistcoat.  
Duck eggs.  
Shaved ice mixed with liana syrup and put in a new silver bowl.  
A rosary of rock crystal.  
Wistaria blossoms. Plum blossoms covered with snow.  
A pretty child eating strawberries"  
_**-Sei Shonagon**


	12. Flash Powder 6

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 6 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Leon walked into the communications room, looking about. "Oi, Harrison-buchou, where's Nene-chan?" he asked.

The sergeant looked up from her desk. "Captain McNichol, officer Romanova is currently helping down in evidence. You see, they made a proper request concerning one of my subordinates. They asked politely. They did not just drag her away."

"Is this a hint?" Leon smiled.

Madoka smiled back. "I hope I'm not keeping you here."

"I guess it was a hint," Leon said as he left.

Leon considered going down into the basements and hijacking Nene. It was probably not a good idea.

"McNichol," a familiar voice called out. Leon turned towards Asako Yamano, wondering what she wanted.

The Lieutenant was a little above average height, and was very attractive, even with the scars that ran across her left cheek. Something she had picked up during her time in the ADP Tac squads.

Her dark brown hair was cut short, her eyes a light blue. She wore a black suit, her ADP badge on the lapel.

"Lieutenant Yamano," he said, being polite. Asako was a hard one to deal with at the best of times.

"Something is going on in this city," she said.

"Something is always going on in this city," he replied.

"I'm not joking around. Genom lost some of its top players, you know that. A lot of things were happening, but suddenly it all stopped. Know anything about it?"

"Probably no more than you."

She looked at him sceptically. "You don't know anything?"

"Rumours. Nothing solid." That was one of the reasons he had gone looking for Nene.

"Any idea why the Kyuusei building is suddenly busy?"

"What?"

"The Kyuusei building, a company that was also taking losses until not so long ago. Its office in MegaTokyo is usually dead, but not now."

"You watch the Kyuusei building?"

She looked angry for a moment. "I keep an eye on everything. Maybe you should think of trying it."

"Leon-Chan!" someone called.

Both Leon and Asako turned towards the voice. A young woman was coming down the hall, an older man right behind her.

"I'll see you later," Asako said as she turned and walked away.

Emiko Kimble was a cute, young woman, a little on the short side. Her blonde hair was bobbed short and she had dark brown eyes. She looked like she should be wearing a junior high uniform rather than an ADP uniform. She was also the best pilot the ADP had.

Tylor Yamanaka was the ADP legal specialist. Their lawyer. A tall, thin man, pretty to the point of being feminine. Long brown hair, green eyes with long eye lashes, and a ready smile. Hard not to like him, except he had denied more arrest warrants than you could count. He wore a three piece, dark blue, power suit.

"Emiko-san," he nodded at her. "Tylor-san."

"We've got a problem McNichol-Kichou."

"What is it now?"

"I've been bad," Emiko said, smiling.

"Well, we all know that," Leon said. "Who was he?"

Emiko moved up close to Leon and punched him in the arm. "Jerk."

"Lientenant Kimble, on January 8th, fired her craft's weapons, causing damage to a Genom warehouse."

"That would be the warehouse that Prometheus Bound had set fire to?"

"Yes."

Leon shook his head. "I'll take full responsibility."

"I knew you would Leon-chan," Emiko said. "I already cleared my gunner of all responsibility."

"You overrode his control of the guns again didn't you?"

"Am I bad?" She tilted her head up and looked sad.

"Yes, but we all love you for it. So, am I going to go to jail or do I just have to pay for the damages?" Leon asked Tylor.

"Neither. Someone in Genom is trying to make points by going after the entire ADP. I have since narrowed down their target from the ADP to just one man. They'll probably drop this because of that, and once I make a request for full disclosure on the contents of that warehouse."

"Good. I was planning on buying a new motorcycle."

"Can I have your old one?" Emiko asked.

"No."

"Please," she begged.

"This might not be over quite yet," Tylor said.

"Buy your own," he told Emiko, then to Tylor, "Think they make a big deal out of it?"

"It is possible," Tylor told him. "While it is unlikely they will try to arrange financial recompense, they may argue for tighter weapons controls."

"Great."

"I should be able to handle it. I'm sure I will see you both soon enough," he told them, and then turned and walked away.

Leon watched him go, then looked over at Emiko. "What were you saying?"

"Give me your bike," she said.

"Buy your own."

"You can give it as a gift for White day."

"You do know that I am currently involved don't you Emiko-chan?"

"I heard. A musician?" She looked up at him. "Isn't that sort of a juvenile crush?"

"And a pilot is so much better?"

"Ouch," she said, smiling.

"You'll have to excuse me Emiko-chan," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "I'm a little busy."

"Idiot," she said as she used her fingers to comb her hair out.

"Later," Leon said, turning and walking away.

"You know," she called out to his back. "The pilot cockpit of an Algonquin will fit two, if they are very friendly."

Leon laughed but did not turn back to her.

He took an elevator down to the motor pool where his Road Chaser was parked. He walked over to in, noticing a note taped to the windshield. He pulled it off and read it. The mechanics had put new tires on it, balanced them, and changed all the fluids. He smiled as he folded the sheet up and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Barring a boomer incident, he suspected that his Road Chaser would run forever. The mechanics did love working on the cars as much as the officers liked driving them.

He opened the door and removed the keys from his jacket pocket. He slid into the car, pulling his seat belt on in one smooth action. He closed the door of the car and then slid the ignition key into place. The car started up smoothly, the effects of the recent tune up showing. Putting the car into gear he pulled away from the personnel carrier he was parked beside.

Soon he was out on the streets of the city. Asako's comment about the action at the Kyuusei building had caught his attention. It was a very strong lead, and if things worked out he had an excellent source of information there.

Some time later Leon pulled his Road Chaser into the parking lot for the Kyuusei Tokyo Foundation, parking it between a red roadster and a limousine.

After setting the alarm he exited the car and locked the door-this was not the ADP motor pool. Taking off his sunglasses he looked up at the twenty-story building, small for this section of the city, very small if one compared it to the Tower.

It sat on the site of an old theatre, Leon remembered his grandmother talking him to a play there. He did not remember much about the play, other than he had fallen asleep during it.

The funny thing was the theatre had survived the quake of '25, only to be torn down a year later. Putting his Raybans back on Leon wondered about the city. There seemed to be so little respect for the past at times. Onwards and upwards and forward, no matter what gets rolled over. He shook his head at those thoughts. He had been listening to too many of Priss' songs.

The lobby was nothing special, except for the extra security, and the weapons they were doing their best to hide. While he wore a small badge on the lapel of his leather jacket, Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out his Police ID and flipped it open. One part contained his ID card, the other another badge.

"I'm here to see Chang Reika-san." He placed his ID on the reception desk. He wondered if she was even there.

"I'm sorry sir, Chang-sama is not seeing anyone," the man behind the desk told him.

"Tell her Captain McNichol of the ADP wishes to talk to her." Leon thought he detected some nervousness in the man. Well, at least he knew she was here. That was something.

"I'm sorry Captain but..."

"I'd hate to have to get a warrant to look around here," Leon interrupted him.

The man swallowed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." Leon picked up his ID and walked over to a set of chairs by the doors and took a seat.

A little over a minute later the elevator doors opened and Reika Chang stepped out. With her was the man who had been with her when he and Daily had arrested McLaren. The way he acted suggested something to Leon, a closeness that had not been there before. Maybe he was just reading things into it.

"Captain McNichol, I'm very happy to see you," she said as she approached.

"I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances, like a concert." Leon smiled.

"What can I do for you Captain? I assume you are here on official business."

"I'd like to talk, off the record."

"About what?"

"Chang Group security personnel in this city, Kyuusei industry manufactured military weapons in the hands of terrorists or mercenaries in this city. Perhaps we should talk in private." It was a guess on his part, but an educated guess.

"Yes, perhaps we should." Her voice had lost all the feeling of welcome it had held before. "Come this way."

Leon got up and followed her. Kou moved so he could watch the both of them. Careful man, Leon thought.

She took him to a small office on the first floor, just behind the reception desk.

"What is it you want Captain?" Reika took a seat behind the desk.

"Some help actually." Leon took a seat across from her. He noticed Kou remained standing.

"How so?"

"The city is ready for a lot of things, that is just the way things are. Still, there are some things that we won't be able to deal with."

"I see."

"We could use some assistance."

"Hypothetically, if I was able to provide some help would you be willing to offer something in return?"

"What?"

"If I did have members of a private security force in the city they could possibly face prosecution."

"True."

"Could it be arranged that they would be protected from such persecution?"

"Possibly." Leon smiled. "Assuming things do not get too bad. If things get messy, well I won't be able to protect myself, let alone anyone else. Of course with the help of your hypothetical people we might be able to keep things from getting too bad. The AD Police would be willing to back up a claim that you were here by our invitation." Leon wondered if he would ever get the Chief to agree to that. Maybe best not to let him know.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked what we are here for," Reika told him.

"To be truthful I have an idea what this is about and the things I might not know, well I doubt you would tell me anyway."

Reika said nothing to that. Somehow what Leon had told her seemed like an accusation. He was used to getting a smoke screen from Genom. She was doing the same thing.

"There is another thing I would like to ask you," Leon said before the silence could get uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Do you have anything in the way of heavy weapons in the city?"

"Would twelve GD-42s, A1 series, be considered heavy weapons?"

"Yes." Leon smiled and for the first time he looked truly happy about something. "Would you mind making an arrangement that would be the best for the both of us?"

"Try me."

* * *

The "Hot Extraction" had been opened by a retired AD Police officer, Douglas Kazuhiko. The combination bar and restaurant was only a block away from the AD Police building and had become a popular spot for officers to have their lunch and relax after work.

Nene and her lunch date, Lieutenant Kaoru Wada, her pretty face from the PR department, sat at a table in front of one of the picture windows that looked out on the street and the AD Police building. She had come straight to the restaurant after her meeting with Johnson. Afterwards she planned to go and see Sylia and tell her what she had found out.

"I was a little surprised to see you here before me," Kaoru said as he put his drink aside. "You usually don't show up until, well, almost lunch."

"Usually I'm working right up to lunch hour. Harrison-buchou works me hard. I think she has it out for me," Nene told him. That was true enough.

"She thinks you are away from work more than anyone else."

"Just using my sick days."

"Going to use up all your sick days if you are not careful."

"I still have a few left."

"One might think that you had more than the rest of us. Are you hacking into the personnel files, officer?"

"Of course not." Nene had heard that one before and had learned to lie without sounding guilty or surprised. "I wish I could. I would give myself a promotion."

"Sergeant?"

"Captain." Nene smiled.

"Assigned to the Tac Squads?" He smiled back.

"Of course not. That would be dangerous. I'm a coward at heart."

"Not much room for Captains elsewhere."

"Well, if I could give myself a promotion I could also set up a place for myself."

"Good point."

"So, how are things down in PR division?"

"Quiet, a meeting with the press only once a day. I smile, tell them the official line and send them away."

"I bet all the women reporters melt at your smile," Nene said, trying not to sound fawning and sure she was failing.

"Some, but most are real barracudas. If they scent a story they are just as vicious as the men." He laughed.

"No stories for them to scent these days?"

"Not a one. Some are still trying to figure out what happened during that terrorist attack on Headquarters. Considering I'm not even sure what happened, they can't get much in the way of answers from me. Makes them cranky."

"Oh well."

"Actually, now that you've brought up business..." He trailed off.

"What?"

"There's a Kanadajin documentary crew working with NHK looking to do a feature on the ADP. They want to do some interviews and I was told to round up some people to talk to them."

"Me?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I think you would reflect well on the organisation."

"Well, of course I'm willing to help..."

"Good." He smiled at her. "I'll give you a set of possible times soon as I get them."

"Are you sure I'm the best choice, I mean I'm just a communications tech and everything. Why don't you get Leon or someone in the Tac Squads?"

"The boys in the Tac Squad will be breaking down my door wanting to get on film as soon as they hear about this and McNichol-kichou has already gratefully offered his assistance. I think he knew about this before me. You'll be great for this Nene-san, trust me."

"If you say so."

"Thanks." He pushed the cuff back on his uniform and looked at his watch. "Time to go I think."

"What?" Nene looked at her watch. "Oh. Do you mind if I don't walk back with you? I have a few things to take care of."

"Not a problem. Are we on for tomorrow?"

"What if we decide that tomorrow."

"Fine with me. I'll cover lunch."

"No, I should pay for mine," Nene said as she reached for her purse.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, stepping away from the table. "I make more money than you anyway."

"Thank you," Nene said.

"Take care," he said, then turned and walked towards the cash register.

Nene watched him go, smiling. She really liked Kaoru. So handsome, and so mature. She picked up her glass and took a drink, letting her mind wander down certain paths of fantasy.

She was shocked out of her fantasy by the beeping of her NAVI. She pulled it from her purse and flipped it open, "Moshi, moshi, oh, Okaasan," she said, a little surprised to see her mother's face in the small screen.

"Nene-chan, something has come up. You are going to be on your own for about a week."

"What?"

"I'm being sent down to Okinawa to help a clinic set up their new neurosurgery ward."

"Okay," Nene nodded.

"Your father's company is also sending him down to Okinawa to consult on branch office's computer system and its security."

"Wow," Nene said. "It's like a free vacation."

"It's not a vacation," Ali said sternly. Then she smiled. "But I'm sure that it will be fun. When you get home we will both be gone."

"I'll make sure the house does not burn down."

"I'm sure you can take care of yourself," her mother said, "but if you need anything I'll be leaving numbers where you can reach us at all times."

"Okay."

"If you want, I can hire someone to watch the house when you are not in, and keep you company."

Nene stared at the screen for a moment. "Do you mean like a sitter?" She was not quite sure she could believe what her mother had just suggested.

"Of course not," Ali said.

"Kaasan, I'm not going to run away again."

Ali sighed. "I suppose you aren't, but it is something I worry about."

Nene smiled. "As long as you don't hire a sitter you can be assured that I will be there when you come back."

Ali smiled at her daughter. "If it wasn't for the fact I knew you were terribly immature I might say you were growing up."

"Kaasan!"

"Take care while we're gone," her mother said, then cut the connection.

Nene stared at the blank screen for a moment then closed the NAVI up and returned it to her purse.

Well, that was extremely lucky. Both her parents leaving the city at the same time, just when it was the best time for them to go. Perhaps it was too lucky. Nene thought about it for a time and decided that it was likely that Sylia had arranged for it. She certainly had the connections and financial pull to do so.

Nene got up and pulled her purse over her shoulder. She would definitely have to thank Sylia when she saw her. She wondered if Sylia would deny it?

* * *

Jolines was in a rather dull part of Roppongi. It was on the third floor of a ten-story building. It would be easy to miss it. It was listed with the other establishments that used the building, but its sign was restrained, and easily missed. Priss guessed that most of the advertising was by word of mouth.

There was a woman, Priss assumed, standing just outside of the elevator. She was slim and wore a tuxedo. She gave Priss an odd look, almost a smile.

"Irasshamase(welcome)," she said.

"I'd like to speak to Yuki," Priss told her. "Brunette, brown eyes, about this tall." Priss held her hand up level with her chin.

"Of course, a table or a booth?"

"No, I just..." Priss realised that just talking to him was not going to be subtle. "A booth would be fine."

"Of course. Kei will show you to your booth."

A young woman, again Priss was assuming, appeared by the other woman's side.

"If you will come this way," she said, then turned and walked into the bar proper. Priss had no choice but to follow.

There were a few odd looks-at least Priss thought she saw some-as she was led across the floor to a small booth near the back, veiled by shadow. It was still early afternoon, so the pace was not at all busy.

"Is this to your liking?" she asked.

"Just fine." Priss slid into the booth, glad to be partially hidden by the shadows.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Rye and coke, tall glass."

"Yes ma'am. The hostess should be with you in a minute." She nodded, and then walked towards the bar.

Priss looked around the room, though was careful not to be obvious about it. Jolines' waitresses and hostesses were supposedly almost all TVs, though Priss wondered about it. There was very little about either of the staff she had met that suggested they were male.

"Priss-san, long time no see." Yuki slid into the booth beside her. "I never knew of your strange tastes before."

"I'm not here for my enjoyment."

"Hush," he said softly as the waitress came back with a tray holding two glasses. She placed them in front of Yuki and Priss then left.

"How much is this going to cost me?" Priss picked up her rye and coke.

"More than you want to pay." Yuki took a sip from his glass.

"Is she really a man?" Priss used her glass to indicating the waitress.

"Is that what you really want to talk about?"

Priss turned her full attention onto Yuki. He wore a high necked, Chinese style black dress with a golden rose design. She realised another reasons for the darkness. It not only gave some privacy to the patrons but it helped to hide certain things. Priss knew that he was male but she could see nothing that suggested it.

"No, not really. I need some information." Priss dropped her voice low.

"And what makes you think that I have any information?" he asked over the rim of his glass.

"You were good at three things when we rode together. Looking more feminine than the women was one, patching us up was another and knowing things you had no right to know was the third. I personally believe you were the one who gave Mamoru the information that got him killed."

"Be careful what you say Prisila-chan. That sort of talk gets people killed."

"Don't threaten me."

"It wasn't a threat, it was a plea. I have no desire to go the same way as Mamoru."

"I need information."

"Order another drink."

"I haven't finished this one yet."

"So?"

There was a potted plant near the table. She surreptitiously dumped her glass into it then attracted the waitress' attention and ordered another drink. Yuki did as well.

They kept it up for nearly an hour. Yuki always distracted her, reminding her of the past, even making her laugh. He kept putting her off, refusing to tell her what she wanted to know.

Priss had been taking sips out of her drinks for the whole time and was beginning to feel a little loose and her temper started rising.

"Fuck it Yuki, stop screwing me around." She almost forgot to keep her voice low.

"What is it you want to know?" he asked quietly.

"Something is happening in the city, I think someone might be bringing weapons into the city. What do you know of it?"

He stared down at his glass for a moment, not saying anything.

"In a moment, when you leave, be sure to look upset."

"What?"

"Just listen. There has been some things happening at the old Roadhouse. If you watch, you might learn something," Yuki said very softly, then suddenly stood. "I'm sorry, you are mistaken," he said, his voice no longer hushed but a little below normal conversation level. "I think you should leave." He turned and left.

Priss got up, about to follow him to ask what he was up to. Then she realised what that had been about.

Finding her waitress she paid for the drinks. Priss winced at the cost. She hoped Sylia would see fit to pay her back. The waitress wore a slight smile and Priss did not doubt she, or maybe he, Priss had no idea any longer, had seen Yuki leave the table as he had and had jumped to her own conclusions.

No doubt the darkness hid her blush and for that Priss was grateful.

* * *

Nene parked her car in a parking garage some distance away from LADYS633. It meant a bit of a walk, but it also kept the car out of sight. The chances of anyone from the ADP seeing the car, being curious enough to find out who had it out, and then sharing that information with anyone who might take exception was pretty low. Still, it never hurt to be careful every now and again.

She entered the building's main foyer and went directly to the Silky Doll. She expected to see Sylia behind the counter at that time of day, but Mackie was there instead. She wandered around a bit, picking up a few things, then walked over to counter and put the bras and panties down.

"Is Sylia-san around," she asked softly as Mackie ran the scanner over her purchases.

"Down in the lab," he told her, totalling the purchases.

"Think I can see her?"

"Just a moment," he said loudly, crouching down behind the counter. Several seconds later he came up with a bag and began to put Nene's purchases into it. "She can see you," he said quietly. Then, "Thank you, come again."

Nene nodded as she took the bag and left the store. It occurred to her that her underwear selection was getting quite large. One day someone was going to wonder why one girl needed so many pairs of panties and bras. Assuming anyone was actually paying attention to her lingerie purchases.

Going back to the car first, Nene put her underwear into the vehicle, and then took the box with the cat in it from the seat. Box tucked under her arm, she walked back to LADYS633 and took the elevator up the Sylia's penthouse, then took the dedicated elevator down to the labs and storage areas in the building's basements. It all seemed easy, but Nene knew that Sylia's security system was better than what the ADP had, even after the recent upgrades.

The elevator opened on the lower levels and Nene stepped out. "Sylia-san?" she called out.

"Back here," Sylia answered.

Nene walked towards the lab where she had heard Sylia call from. She found her there, wearing a lab coat, working on something. As Nene got closer she could see it was the helmet of Linna's hardsuit.

"What are you doing?"

"Just some tests," Sylia said, looking over her shoulder at Nene.

"What kind of tests?" Nene asked, curious.

"Making sure that the seals are in order."

"In case we need them?" Nene said, a tremor of worry in her voice.

Sylia nodded. "In case we need them. I'm not sure we will, but it pays to be careful."

"Is there an antidote for the AF-5?"

"Yes, but there is not a great deal of it. Chang-san has assured me they will have as much of the counter agent, in auto-injectors, in the area as possible. It will not be enough though. It is not something that we can do anything about though."

"I guess," Nene said.

"So, is there anything you wish to talk about?"

"Oh," Nene said, surprised. "That's right. I think I might have a lead."

"What kind of lead?"

"Well, I thought that if whoever has that canister has to get the daily codes, as well as the code to open it, they might need more computing power."

"It makes sense."

Nene nodded. "So I went to speak to a friend and it seems that a Genjiro Giovanni is buying two boomer AI chips from him."

"The Genjiro Giovanni?"

"You know him?" Nene was again surprised.

"Only by reputation. He is well known for his hardware. I once considered having him build some computer systems for me."

"Why haven't I heard of him?" Nene asked herself out loud.

"Even you can't know everyone Nene-san."

Nene nodded. "Well, he's coming by Johnson's shop to pick up the chips tonight, and I also got the address he is presently living at. I thought watching him might be of value."

Sylia nodded. "I'll have someone do so."

"I hope it leads somewhere."

"We'll see." Sylia thought about it. She'd hold off informing Reika Chang until she was sure it was something. For now she'd let Fargo handle things.

"Uh, Sylia-san..."

"Yes," Sylia focused on Nene.

Nene was about to ask Sylia to help with the cat, but then decided against it. She looked busy. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for my parents," she said, deciding it was more important than a boomer cat.

"It was no problem Nene-san. And if you were worried, it might affect your job."

Nene nodded, then took a step back. She bowed deeply to Sylia. "Domo arigato gozaimasu."

Sylia laughed softly. "You should probably get back to work."

Nene looked at her watch after she had straightened. "You're right. Ja," Nene said, waving as she walked towards the room's exit.

"Wait," Sylia said.

"What?"

"I want you to see what you can get from the Chang Group. Keep it subtle."

"Okay," Nene said. "But why not just ask Chang-san?"

"I'm not sure that she would tell me everything I needed to know."

"You don't trust her?"

"No, I just understand her. I would not tell us everything if I was in her shoes either."

"I'll see what I can find," Nene said, nodding. "Got to go," she left the room.

Sylia watched her go, then turned back to the helmet, turning it over in her hands, looking at it. She was finishing the examination when her NAVI rang. She walked over to her jacket, took the NAVI from the pocket, and flipped it open. "Moshi, moshi, Stingray desu," she said.

"Sylia, is that you?" the voice on the other end asked. "This is Justin Bestar."

"Bestar-san?" Sylia said, a name from long ago. She activated the video feed on her NAVI, seeing the face of Justin Bestar. He was older than she remembered, though it had been years since she had last seen him. His once blonde hair was washed out, thinning and white. His face was still smooth except around his light blue eyes and mouth. Handsome, but not incredibly so.

"It's good to see you Sylia," he said.

"It's good to see you."

"Are you busy?"

"A little."

"Think you could make time to see me? I'm at the St. Regis right now and I'd like to speak with you."

"About what?" Sylia asked, a little rudely.

"I'd rather talk to you in person."

Sylia thought about it for a moment. She was busy, but he was an old friend of her family. "Would four, at the hotel, be good?"

"That would be great. I'll be waiting for you in the restaurant."

Sylia nodded. "I'll see you then Bestar-san."

"I'll be waiting," Justin said, then hung up.

As Sylia closed the NAVI up she wondered what that had been about.

She looked at her watch. She was going to have to hurry if she was to make her appointment with Justin and finish other tasks she wanted done. And she still had to call Fargo and get him to watch Genjiro. She flipped the NAVI open and entered Fargo's number.

* * *

Nene just got back to her desk in the communications room when Leon approached her. "I need your help," he said, smiling.

"But Sergeant Harrison..."

"Is not here right now, and does not know you are back from evidence yet. No one will tell on you, right?" he said as he looked over at the young woman beside Nene.

She giggled and said, "No."

"See, perfect time for you to go."

Nene sighed. "What's in it for me?"

"Job satisfaction?"

Nene shook her head.

"I'll give you a Road Chaser," Leon said. "Now come on." He turned and walked out of the room. Nene sighed, then got up and followed after him.

He led her through the building to a small briefing room on the third floor. There she found Daily, a young woman wearing a police uniform, and a short, thin man in a THP uniform.

"Bach Vanessa-san, Lieutenant in the TPD, Arasaki Tsuyoshi-san, Lieutenant in the THP, this is Romanova Nene-chan, Communications tech, ADP."

"Your source of information?" Vanessa looked Nene up and down. "How cute."

"Leon," Nene said, a little anger in her tone. "We were going to keep our little arrangement secret."

"We needed to bring them in, Nene-san, no choice if Leon is right," Daily told her.

"If Leon is right about what?" Nene decided playing dumb was the way to go. She suspected that Leon knew, at least something, of the problems facing the city.

"About a small war breaking out on the streets of the city," Tsuyoshi said.

"We need to know what we are facing," Daily said.

"I've already talked to Chang-san," Leon told them. "She's told me quite a bit, off the record, and arranged to help, but we still need information, just to be sure."

"And you want me to get it for you?" Nene asked.

"Some of it, what you can find out. We'll be on the streets, asking questions, trying to get a feel for what is going on." Leon leaned back against the closed door. "I do know that Kyuusei has got people in the city, and more."

"Legally?" Nene asked.

"They will be."

"By the way, how is Genom reacting to this?" Vanessa asked.

"Good question," Leon said. "I think they are co-operating, to an extent."

"That's good," Vanessa said.

"So why are they co-operating?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Unknown, right now." Leon told him. He looked over at Nene, the question in his eyes.

"I'm sure I can find something out."

"You are asking a lot based on very little McNichol-kichou," Tsuyoshi told him.

"All I'm asking is that you make sure both your departments are ready in case something happens."

"Do you want us to go to full alert?" Vanessa took a seat on the edge of the desk.

"No, that might actually cause problems. Like I asked, stay on your toes. You both have connections up high within your own departments, you know who to talk to. That's why I went through you. I don't want this to become official until it has to. Once I know more, I'll let you know so you can prepare for it."

"Real cloak and dagger stuff." Vanessa seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Maybe."

"Well, I better go off and see if I can sell this to the powers that be." Vanessa pushed herself off the desk. "No promises but I think I can get them to dust off the civil emergency protocols and give them a look over. If you want this to stay quiet though we can't get too prepared. Maybe we'll be able to get a couple of SWAT teams on twenty-four hour alert. That's not likely to attract any attention. Things better happen in a couple of days though." She opened the door. "Goodbye Romanova-san." She closed the door behind her.

"I won't even make that sort of promise McNichol-kichou, but I'll see what I can do." Tsuyoshi headed for the door. "We still on for pool Friday night, Daily-san?"

"Assuming the city is still standing," Daily told him.

"See ya." He left the room.

"Okay, we're on," Leon said. "Nene-chan, Chang-san hinted at something that I don't like, but she would not come out and tell me anything. I need to know what it is we might be facing. Bach-san and Tsuyoshi-san will need a lot more than vague concepts if they are to get prepared for this."

"And now you want me to find it all out?"

"As much as you can." Leon reached into his jacket pocket and removed a picture and a disk. The picture was of Nene in the St. Regis maid's uniform. "Payment."

Nene reached out and grabbed the photo and disk. "You've been holding this over my head long enough."

"Now I'm not."

"What are you going to do?"

"Daily-san is going out on the streets to see what is what, and I'm going to finalise some deals with a pretty lady."

"How much trouble are we going to get into?" Nene looked up at him.

"Depends on what Toda thinks when I spring this on him."

"I wonder what crossing guard duty will be like?" Nene looked up at the ceiling, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

* * *

Priss stepped into the tattoo parlour. It was a small shop, the walls covered in art, a small counter bisecting the room at the half point. On the other side of the counter was a reclining chair where the customers got inked. Currently a big man was lying upon the fully reclined chair, the tattoo artist working a design onto the man's back.

Priss pushed by the counter walking towards the rear door. She paused to look down at the design on the man's back-boomer style dragons. It took all kinds. The artist looked at Priss once, but did not seem to care she was there. The big man seemed oblivious to her presence.

The back door opened on a small office. Sitting on the edge of the desk was Fargo.

"Come in," he said softly. "Close the door."

Priss did as he said, then moved to take a seat in one of the chairs. She had met with Fargo once before, at Sylia's urging. She had wanted to make sure that Priss was able to make use of Fargo if for some reason she, Sylia, could not.

When Priss had called up Sylia to tell her of her discovery, Sylia had told her that something had come up and asked Priss to talk to Fargo about what was happening. That was why she was meeting with the man.

"How do you choose your meeting places?" Priss asked.

"I throw darts at a map of Tokyo."

"Can we talk here?"

"Of course," he smiled, running a hand though his hair, messing it up even more.

"Know of John's Roadhouse?"

"Should I?"

"Not really. It's a place where the gangs used to hang out, was kind of a demilitarised zone. No fighting. Man named John Bennati, Amerikajin who came with the Red Cross back in '25, set it up."

"Big guy, looked like he could bench press cars?"

"That was him."

"I know the place."

"You know how it was in an area that ended up underwater after the quake?"

"Yeah, there were a few buildings that were tall enough so that their upper stories were above water. The roadhouse was set up there?"

Priss nodded. "When John left, the place closed down. I heard Genom tore down everything on dry land a couple of months ago. Getting ready to reclaim the area. The roadhouse is still there, though I heard they pumped all the water out a few weeks ago."

Fargo nodded. "Won't be doing anything else there for a few months though."

"Good place to hide out."

"You go there?"

"Do I look stupid? There is no cover out there. Anyone showing interest in the place would be noticed."

"Good."

"We'll need some sort of surveillance set up to watch the place."

"I can do that, very subtle. I'll have the place under watch in an hour. Everything I learn will be sent to you, the standard channels."

Priss nodded, though she had no idea what the standard channels were. She wondered if there was anything else, but could think of nothing. This Fargo person was supposed to know what he was doing. No need for her to tell him his job. "Good," she got to her feet.

"Payment as usual of course?"

"Yeah," Priss said, wondering what the usual payment was. She was going to have to ask Sylia. "Ja." She opened the door and walked out of the office. Fargo watched her go, then took a battered cell phone from his pocket.

* * *

"The idea has merit but I am not interested," Sylia said over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Sylia I need you for this. You are the only one who could do it justice. You know what is worth saying, and can say it," her dinner companion told her. "That paper you wrote was brilliant, it shows that you understand what your father did, what he wanted."

"Perhaps." She was regretting using the paper as an excuse to get close to Sharon Knight. It was being passed around among her father's friends.

Justin Bestar leaned back in his chair, looking defeated. He was a big man, nearly two meters tall and he had a body builder's physique. He wore a suit of light grey wool.

Sylia examined him without seeming to do so. He looked older than he had the last time she had seen him, but that had been almost six years before. He was dressed better. She had heard that his company had been doing very well for the past two years.

He had been a friend of her father's years before she had been born. She had met him a few times when she was a child, again a few months after her father's death and then again when she had been seventeen, when they met by chance.

"Why now?" Sylia asked after a moment.

"Why not?" He looked up at her.

"The truth."

"Genom wants it."

"When did you sell out?"

"Three years ago. It was a bad year, they moved in, made the right offer. They have a forty percent of the stock, I have ten."

"So this is Genom's idea?"

"No, not originally, but they like it."

"I'm not surprised."

"Sylia, whatever Genom wants is not really important. I want to honour a friend and his work, nothing more. That Genom wants to use it for good publicity is just the way things fall. I want Katsuhito's daughter to speak at this event. That's all there is to it."

"Honour..." Sylia said softly.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. When will this be?"

"March 24th, held in the big ballroom of this hotel."

"I'll give you an answer in a week." Sylia got to her feet.

"You couldn't give it now?"

"No."

"I understand I suppose. Thank you."

"Goodbye Bestar-san." Sylia turned and walked towards the restaurant's cloakroom.

* * *

It was late when Leon finally returned home. He had finally sent Nene home around nine. Daily had left soon after. He had spent some more time talking to the ADP armour troops, getting them ready for their new toys, as it were.

He checked his mailbox in the lobby, nothing, before taking the elevator up to his apartment. When he opened the door her was surprised to find Yuuko sitting at the counter in the middle of the room, right under the poster of Priss. The second thing he noted, which also surprised him, was that his apartment was much cleaner than usual.

"Konbanwa Leon-san," Yuuko said, a hint of ice in her voice.

"We were supposed to have dinner tonight weren't we?"

Yuuko nodded.

"So," he closed the door behind him. "Is this a flower apology, or something bigger?"

"I'll have to think about it," she said as she stood up from the counter. "Shall we eat first?"

Leon decided not to mention he had grabbed something to eat at the ADP cafeteria. "I'm starving," he lied.

"Good," she walked towards the microwave.

"Shouldn't you be at the club?"

"No," she said as she opened the microwave and removed a casserole dish. "Priss-san cancelled everything for the next week and a half." Yuuko put the dish on the counter, then turned to the rice cooker. "Funny thing, she paid us all for the time. It is kind of like a paid vacation."

"Not standard in a band I would guess."

"No."

"So why did she cancel?" Leon asked as he took a seat at the counter.

"Are you still interested in Priss-san?" Yuuko asked as she began spooning rice out of the cooker and into a bowl.

"Just curious."

"Said she needs some time to think. There is something up, maybe a record deal. She would not say anything about it though. I guess she does not want to raise our hopes again. She told us to take the time off, handed us some checks, and said, 'have fun'. Takeshi-san headed up to Iwate to do some skiing. Norio said he was thinking of going down to Okinawa for some sun."

"Should I take it that you stayed as a compliment?"

"Maybe." She finished filling one of the bowls with rice, then poured the curry on top of it.

Leon waited until she had finished with hers, then he picked up a spoon and gave the curry a try. "Umai(delicious)," he said, wishing he had not had curry rice in the cafeteria.

"Good." Yuuko took a spoonful of her own, then nodded, pleased with it. "Oh, you got a package today, I put it on the couch with the other mail."

"Oh? Well, let's see what it is." He ate another spoonful of the curry, then got up and walked over to the couch. There was a suitcase-sized package, as well as several other pieces of mail. Most of the mail was junk, and he dropped it to the floor. He shifted the package onto the kotatsu, and looked for the return address.

"Who is it from?"

"A friend, Catherine Ballou," Leon said, taking a knife from his pocket to cut away at the paper it was wrapped in.

"A friend?"

"No need to worry. She's on another continent, and we are and were just friends." Leon smiled at her. "There's a set of keys on the top shelf of my wardrobe, can you get them for me?"

"So who is this Catherine-san?" Yuuko asked as she walked across the room.

"Just someone I met during my travels. I did her some favours, she did me some favours, we kept in touch. Right now she works as a weapons designer for a place called Magnum Research Incorporated."

"Is she sending you guns?" Yuuko asked as she looked through the wardrobe for the keys Leon had spoken of.

"I suspect so."

"Here they are." Yuuko held forth the ring of keys. "Catch." She tossed them to him

Leon reached out and caught them from the air. In front of him, unwrapped, were two aluminium briefcases, strapped together with nylon bands. He cut the bands then turned the first case so he could see the lock.

"What are with the keys?" Yuuko asked.

"Cat-san sends them to me in advance. That way the cases remain locked."

"Isn't it illegal to have weapons sent into the country?"

"Yes and no," Leon said as he began trying keys. "I really should label these or something," he said softly to himself. "Anyway, the forms all get filled out on Cat's side, and since I'm a member of the ADP, everything is expedited. Tomorrow I'll have to get any weapons she sent me properly registered."

"I see."

"It's worked so far," Leon said, finally finding the key that opened the case.

Inside, packed in foam, was an Earth Shaker, twin to the one Leon was currently wearing in his shoulder holster, as well as maintenance equipment and replacement parts. He ignored the weapon and instead reached for a piece of folded paper. "Cat's sending me a second gun, just in case. She worries about me."

"Can't fault her for that," Yuuko said, sitting down beside Leon.

Leon picked the weapon up and broke it open, looking into the cylinder. Then he snapped it closed with a flick of his wrist, lifted it to his ear and began to spin the cylinder.

"You're a real gun otaku aren't you?"

"What?" Leon looked up at her. "Not really." He placed the gun back in the foam. "I just need certain tools to do my job. You know, fifty years ago a cop in this city did not even really need a gun. And the one they carried was a small .38. I wouldn't mind it if I could get by with a small revolver I never had to fire outside of a practice range."

"Sorry."

"No problem. I do look like a gun otaku." He closed the first case and shifted it to the side to get at the one below it. After a few tries he got the case open and looked at what was inside. He was not sure what he had once the case was open. At first he thought it might be a submachine gun, with a sound suppresser but once he had looked at what he thought was the sound suppresser he realised the barrel aperture was too small to be 9mm or even .22. After looking at the pieces for a moment he fell back on the old standby and picked up the manual included with the weapon.

"What is it?" Yuuko asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out."

Leon read for a few pages then put the manual down. "What this is a rather small rail weapon."

"What?" Yuuko asked.

"It works like the Mag Lev shinkansen. It fires, and excuse the jargon if it makes no sense to you, a two millimetre, fin-stabilised sabot round. The round is very small, but the velocity is high enough for it the do a nice job on boomer armour."

"So you got a new toy," Yuuko said.

Leon smiled. "It's nice, and it might come in handy, but I won't be using it much."

"Why not?"

"Well, if I fired it at the wall, it would go through the wall, through my neighbours apartment, then the next apartment, and so on until it finally left the building. It might even be able to punch through the outer wall of the next building. And if anyone got in the way, that would not slow it significantly."

"Ouch."

"Indeed." Leon closed the case and locked it. "I think I'll keep this in the ADP weapon's lock up. Everyone will be happier that way. Now," he turned towards Yuuko, "how about we finish that wonderful dinner you made and then talk about things other than weapons?"

Yuuko moved closer to him. "Why officer, you have the best ideas."

* * *

_"Much less is it fitting for a samurai to lay his hand on his sword or menace his wife with his clenched fist, an outrageous thing that only a cowardly samurai would think of doing"  
_- **Daidoji Yuzan**


	13. Flash Powder 7

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 7 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**February 14th, Tuesday, 03:12**

Reika had turned the small office into her bedroom by moving the desk out and throwing a futon down on the floor. An open travelling chest was at the foot of the mattress, an open duffel bag to the side.

She opened her eyes when she felt Kou moving from the mattress.

"What..."

Kou put his hand over her mouth, silencing her. She did not try to say anything but just listened, trying to discover what had set him off.

Kou took his hand from her mouth and got up. He pulled a pair of loose pants on but not from a sense of modesty. He used the waistband to hold a 10mm automatic pistol and the pockets to hold spare magazines.

Reika slid out from under the comforter and pulled on the blazer she had been wearing earlier. She also took the time to find her panties and pull them onmodesty was her only reason.

Kou had pushed open the door slightly and was using a small mirror to see what was out in the hall.

Reika went to her travelling chest and rifled through the clothes until she found the Calico 9mm, sub-machine gun that Kou had made her pack. She was not sure about the weapon. The top mounted helical magazine and the sound suppresser gave it extra length and bulk. After slowly cocking it, she made her way over to Kou's side.

"Something is wrong," he told her, his voice low.

"What?"

"No guards, too quiet."

"Maybe they are asleep."

"Doubtful, they aren't anywhere near that green."

"Did they get all of them?"

"No, that would make too much noise. Probably just the ones awake on this floor."

"What do we do?"

"They're coming for you, only explanation, probably close by. We need surprise on our side."

"So we move."

"Fast. Let's go." He pulled the pistol from his waistband and pushed the door open. Reika was a step behind him though she would have preferred staying in the room.

Kou led her down the hall as quick as he could, went around the corner, gun in the lead, and came face to face with a man in black combat fatigues. He was not one of their people.

The pistol's discharge was like thunder in the enclosed space; the intruder stumbled backward and fell over, the back of his head blown out.

There were more people beyond that one. He went back into the hall, pushing Reika back as well.

The sound of the bullets slamming into the walls was louder than the intruder's silenced weapons.

"Back," he said.

Reika was already running that way, so concerned with what was going on behind her she almost missed the movement in front.

Even as Kou pushed her down she pulled the trigger of her SMG, spraying rounds down the corridor. Kou's pistol was discharging just above her head. Her ears were ringing.

Lying flat on the ground she continued to fire, pretending she was on the firing range shooting at target silhouettes.

Kou spun to face the other direction and emptied the pistol's magazine towards the other group. He ejected the empty magazine, slapped a fresh one in, and had a new round chambered in moments. He emptied the entire magazine back down the hall in almost the same amount of time.

Reika waited for another target to come out of the cross-corridor and as soon as it did she fired. It took her a moment to register that the person had already been shot several times.

There was the sound of even more gunfire. Reika realised that her own people had joined the fight.

The fire fight did not last long. The floor was secured and the other floors were being searched.

Several minutes later, after they had both dressed, Reika and Kou were debriefed by the head of security.

"How did they get in?" Kou began to strip his pistol.

"Roof sir, they came down the elevator shaft."

"The guards on the roof?" Reika considered cleaning her weapon but doubted she would be able to keep her hands still.

"Dead. Large round by the looks of it, head shots. Sniper. I've sent some people to quietly check the roofs of the near by buildings."

"How did they get on the roof?"

"Unknown. No parachutes, no sounds of aircraft, they might have climbed up the side but we'll have to wait for daylight to check that out," he told them.

"When they got to this floor?" Kou had his pistol laid out in front of him.

"Room by room search, killing anyone that was awake. We've lost seven men."

"They were looking for you," Kou said to Reika.

"Were any of the intruders left alive?" Reika asked the man.

"Unfortunately no."

"Damn."

"They didn't have much of a choice," Kou told her.

"I understand that." Reika got to her feet. "Who did it?"

"Genom, whoever made that first attempt on your life, anyone looking to hurt Kyuusei and taking advantage of this. Long list," Kou told her.

"I think it was Genom."

"Prove it," was all Kou had to say on the matter.

"I want to talk to that Odotte woman, now."

"I'll call her." Kou got to his feet. "Reika, if you are doing this for the company you can't take it personally."

"I understand," was all Reika said.

* * *

The ringing of her phone woke Domino. She sat up in her bed, reached over and took the handset from the cradle. "Moshi, moshi, This is Odotte," she said.

"Odotte-san, I'm calling for Chang-san. She would like to see you now."

"I see." Domino got out of bed. "At her headquarters I suppose."

"Yes," the voice on the other end said.

"I'll be there shortly." Domino cradled the handset.

She wondered what had Reika so uptight as she got out of her bed. Well, she would find out soon enough. She headed to her closet to pick out something to wear.

It was late, she decided to go for a casual look. Loose pants, a blouse and a leather jacket. She put a .38 Derringer into an ankle holster and .22 lady's pistol in her jacket pocket for anyone searching her to find.

As she left her apartment Domino considered calling for D but decided she could handle this herself.

* * *

Reika had found an office on the lower floors for the meeting. The large, oak desk was meant to be intimidating to anyone having to sit in front of it, everything about the office said power. She had hoped it would make an impression on her visitor.

She wore a suit, sharply pressed, perfectly tailored, it spoke of power.

Domino sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, she could tell that they were lower than the chair behind the desk. That she was a little shorter than average meant she was looking up at Reika. It was a minor disadvantage at best and she did not let it worry her.

The building's security had searched her and found the pistol in her pocket but had missed her ankle holster. The young man had been a bit more interesting in frisking her upper body.

That search had been annoying, and rude. Domino believed that if you thought a visitor might bring a weapon into your presence you prepared for it. That they had searched her told her that Reika was not prepared for the possibility.

Reika looked at Domino, trying to see if she could spot anything that would suggest she had been behind the attack. There was nothing.

"There was an attempt on my life tonight," Reika stated.

"Your point?" Domino deadpanned.

"I think you were behind it."

"Do you have proof, either to present to the authorities or embarrass me into doing something for you?" Domino wondered who had made the attempt. It had not been her.

"I have no proof."

"Then why are you wasting my time?"

Reika surged to her feet, slamming an open palm against the desk. Domino did not even blink. "I lost seven of my people."

"Unfortunate, did they have families?"

"What?" She lost her forward momentum.

"Always hard to deal with the families." Domino shook her head sadly. "Do you tell them the truth or do you lie to them? Do you take care of them of do you forget about them? A quandary is it not?"

"I don't care about their families," Reika said between her teeth, trying to get the discussion back in the direction she wanted. She found it hurt to say it though.

"Then you may do better than we thought." Domino smiled.

"I'm not like you."

"Did I ever say you were?"

"I do not appreciate an attempt being made on my life."

"Who does?"

"Let me put this in terms you might care about. The more men I lose, the harder it is to do my job here."

"Would you like Genom Security to supplement your on-site security?"

"No!" Reika wondered exactly where she had lost control. The woman in front of her looked so confident, so relaxed, and so damn innocent. There was nothing to suggest that she had known anything about the attack.

"Then what would you like me to do?"

"I want you to take this message back to Genom like the good little messenger you are." Reika waited to see if Domino would rise to the insult, but she only smiled. "If another attempt is made I will put all my energy into finding out who was behind it and I will extract my revenge."

Domino was suddenly on her feet, slamming both her hands against the desk. Reika backed up from the sudden movement, the back of her knees hitting the chair behind her. She sat down heavily. Kou was halfway across the room before he realised that there was no threat.

"Listen to me you spoiled heiress." Domino's voice took on an edge, at the same time she was subtly doing what a 33-S did best. The conflicting emotions it would cause in Reika would be to her advantage. "Don't waste my time with this. You are here for one reason and only one reason and we both know what it is. Next time you call me make sure you have some useful information." Domino straightened, taking her hands from the desk.

"This may be of some use to you, a local street gang that claims a piece of territory on the western side of the city has supposedly been supplied with weapons. You might want to check it out." She turned and walked towards the door. "Good evening Chang-san." She pulled the door open and left.

"I can't believe that, that, that woman!" Reika was back on her feet.

"Calm down Reika."

"Damn it, she had me cowed, in my own office."

"It was a mistake to try to intimidate her."

"Why do I get the feeling that Genom holds all the cards?"

"Because they probably do, I would guess they know something they aren't telling us."

"No big surprise." Reika came out from behind the desk. "I don't think she ordered the attack, or even knew about it. She seemed a little surprised, not that she showed much."

"Useful to know."

"Yes, but Genom is big, she didn't have to know about it."

"Don't trust them, even if you have to work with them."

"Good advice. Have someone check out the information she gave us about that street gang."

"Right."

"Spoiled heiress? Think it might mean something?"

"Jealousy? Doubtful. I would guess she threw that in to see how you would react."

"Kou, is it always this hard?"

"Sometimes. Other than making a few bad judgements you did well. You showed them you are willing to act. That is valuable."

"Possibly." Reika said distractedly as she walked to the door. "If we do end up fighting in the city I want to destroy some Genom holdings. Make it look like an accident."

"Of course." Kou smiled slightly. It was a little dangerous, but it would send a message. It was all part of the game.

* * *

Nene yawned as she looked at herself in the mirror. She reached up to straighten the collar of her uniform jacket. It had been a late night, first at the ADP building, then at home, continuing the search.

She had gotten very little sleep the night before. Sitting in front of her computer, trying to get Kyuusei's computers to talk to her had driven thoughts of sleep from her mind. By the time she had realised just how late it was, she had to get ready to go to work.

Several cups of tea had chased some of the exhaustion away, but she still hoped that she might be able to put her head down on her desk and nap for a while.

She closed her locker, made sure it locked, then left the change room. Almost as soon as she stepped out she was accosted by Leon.

"Ohayo Nene-chan," he said. "Get much sleep?"

"Probably as much as you did," Nene said, noting how tired Leon looked. "Did you stay here all night?"

"No, I went home and spent most of the night awake."

Nene nodded, thinking she understood completely.

"Come on, we got a meeting to go to."

"But what about Harrison-Buchou?"

"I'll deal with her later," he told her, heading off down the hall. Nene sighed and followed after him. This time he led her to the cafeteria, to a table near the back where Daily, Vanessa and Tsuyoshi already sat. There were pastries, coffee and tea on the table.

Leon took a seat next to Vanessa; Nene sat between him and Daily. She poured herself a cup of tea.

"So, Vanessa-san, how are things going with the police?"

"I talked to a few people, those I could trust not to panic, and to stay quiet about this, telling them that we might have a problem. They have promised to get everyone as ready as possible."

Leon nodded. "Good. Arasaki-keibu?"

"I'm still not sure of this," he said. "I've talked to a few people, just to get the lines of communications open. Convince me that I need to do more."

Leon smiled. "Nene-chan, show me my trust in you is valid."

Nene took a deep breath. "Kyuusei Industries, as well as a number of companies that share friendly relations with Kyuusei," Nene did not feel like spreading the secret of Hou Bang around, "have recently suffered some losses."

"Is this the Corporate war you were talking about?" Vanessa asked Leon.

"Probably some of it," Leon told her.

"During all this a number of things were stolen for Kyuusei and the related companies. Small arms for the most part, enough to arm a small army."

"How small?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"About the size of the ADP, perhaps a little bigger. Better quality weapons though."

"It would hard for them to be worse," Leon said softly.

"What makes you think this has anything to do with MegaTokyo?"

"Kyuusei seems to think it does. They are concentrating a lot of attention here."

"So why haven't they said anything?" Vanessa asked, a beat before Tsuyoshi.

"A number of reasons. Mainly they do not want to admit being in the wrong, as that would make them liable for any damages. They also don't want to cause a panic, and I suspect they don't want their targets to be aware they know."

"If this is all true, we should be doing something more than just getting ready. We should be putting the GSDF-Ground Self Defence Forceon alert," Tsuyoshi said.

"On what basis?" Daily asked.

"What she just told us," he looked at Nene.

"It would not be enough. None of it was obtained legally."

"We have advance information here," Leon said. "But we have to use it carefully. As long as they don't know we are aware of them, we have a huge advantage."

"Who is the, 'they'?"

"I suspect that Prometheus Bound has been recruited."

"I thought that they were dealt with last month," Vanessa said.

"That was one cell. There are a number of people who feel threatened by Genom, and its boomers. They will always be able to recruit more."

"Wonderful."

"There is another problem," Nene said.

"What?" Leon asked her.

"Eighteen GD-42, A3s were stolen on their way to Canadian SDF bases. Seven have been accounted for. That leaves 11 still missing."

"What's a GD-24?" Vanessa asked.

"Four legged, light battle tank," Leon told her. As he suspected, Reika Chang had not told him everything.

"Wasn't there one of those running around several months ago?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Yes, though that was a top line model. The A3s are designed with urban combat in mind. And thanks to Kyuusei we have the resources to deal with them," Leon told them.

"Okay, so we don't make a big panic with this," Vanessa said. "Just what are we supposed to do?"

"The ADP can deal with the terrorists and their weapons, it is what we were created for. We need both the THP and the TPD to make sure no one gets hurt while we do our job. I want this dealt with, and fast. I want casualties kept to a minimum."

"Are we covering for this Kyuusei?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"In a way," Leon admitted. "They are victims in this as well. I'm willing to help them as long as they are willing to help us."

"Okay, you've convinced me McNichol-Kichou," he said as he got to his feet. "I'll get to work on this."

"Good."

"Me too Leon-san," Vanessa told him as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Though I'm not sure if keeping this quiet is the way to go."

Tsuyoshi nodded, then turned and walked away.

"We'll have to see," Leon told her.

"Oh," Nene said, reaching into her purse. "I almost forgot." She put two brightly wrapped boxes in front of Daily and Leon. "Happy Valentines Day."

"I thought for sure you'd knit me a scarf," Leon said as he picked up the small box.

* * *

Her heels making a sharp, clicking sound on the tiles of the main foyer as she made straight for the Sky Elevators. She was not moving very fast but something in her manner made people clear out of her way as if she were a running combat boomer.

Domino stepped into the cab as soon as the doors opened and pressed the floor button. There was no one else in the cab with her.

Reaching up to her temples she pulled off her sunglasses, folded the arms, and slipped them into the inside pocket of her dark blue blazer.

She was not sure about the meeting she had scheduled, if she was wrong she might come off looking foolish and scared. If she was right it might be interpreted as a challenge. She needed neither of those things happening, they would just cause trouble. Still, she had to be sure.

She exited the elevator and walked down the hall, ignoring the people around hershe really did not notice them beyond the level of attention needed to avoid any collisions.

Walking past her own office she continued on until she found herself outside of a door to an office suite on the south side of the Tower.

She looked at the door, a slab of darkly stained wood, no doubt with a steel plate inside.

The door was a replacement.

The original had been unstained oak, the name B. J. Mason carved into it.

A simple plaque of brass, the name K. Madigan acid etched into it, was fixed to the door. It shone, freshly polished.

She pushed the door open and entered into the outer, common office.

"Odotte-san." One of the secretaries was standing just beyond the door, obviously waiting for her. "Madigan-sama is expecting you. Please come this way." She turned and led Domino towards another door of darkly stained wood, with a plaque matching the one on the outer door.

The secretary opened the door then stood aside and let Domino enter. The door was closed behind her.

Of all the offices in the Tower only the Chairman's was bigger. It had been redecorated when Madigan had moved in, glass and steel, very cold and unwelcoming. Domino wondered if it reflected the true Madigan or was only a blind.

Sparing a moment to look around, Domino let herself be impressed. It had a subtle hint of power and wealth without being gaudy. She did not envy Madigan the space, though. It really meant very little. The third largest office in the Tower was occupied by a paper-pushing executive who was not even aware of half of what Genom did. Space meant nothing.

"Odotte-san, you wanted to see me? Have a seat," Katherine said from behind her desk, she waved her hand at the two chairs in front of the desk.

"Thank you." Domino walked across the room and took a seat. All the chairs were at the same level. Domino smiled, remembering Reika Chang's rather amateurish attempts at power games. Madigan did not waste time with the obvious.

"How may I help you?" Katherine asked.

"Forgive me for being rude but did you try to kill Reika Chang last night?"

"Accusation?"

"Curiosity."

"How am I supposed to view this question?"

"How do you think?" Domino asked.

"I might say you are scared, but you don't get scared. I've noticed that about you. I might say you are angry but I suspect that Chang-kun's death would mean little to you. Curiosity?"

"There is no other reason."

"I ordered her killed if possible. I thought such an occurrence might break her Grandfather. We could take advantage of that," Katherine stated it all simply, as if she were talking about a party she had planned.

"Hard to say. Chang-san is not an inexperienced player."

"But he is an old man," Katherine said.

"So is the chairman."

"Touché." She smiled. "It was a whim more than anything else. Would you rather I not try again?"

"Are you planning on trying again?"

"No. As I said, it was just a whim."

"Then I see no reason to make such a request, even if I believed you would honour it." Domino smiled as well.

"Is there any reason you want the woman to live? I doubt you would she any tears if she were to die."

"She sings well."

"I suppose."

"I'm not done with her yet."

"I see." Katherine's smile had something cold to it.

"One makes use of what she has. And there are other things we need to consider."

"That would be?"

"Who is behind this."

"Yes. You have a theory?" Katherine asked.

"What do you know of my work with Aphros Industries?"

"As much as the Chairman has told me."

Domino smiled. Such a simple and clever answer. "It is possible they are being used as a source of this attack. They may be innocent, more or less. They may not."

"So, how do you plan to deal with them?"

"I'm not sure," Domino admitted. "Right now I only have a theory. When I know for certain, then I'll decide what to do."

"I see." Katherine nodded. "How far can we trust each other?" she asked, echoing Domino's thoughts.

"As far as necessary."

"We both want the same thing."

"We both, unlike some others, know the value of patience," Domino told her.

"True, but that is not the point."

"I want Genom to become the most powerful force on this planet. You want that as well. Does it really matter who holds the highest position of power when the time comes?"

"Perhaps. I do not know if you actually mean that, however."

"There's no way to find out, unfortunately."

"Trust no further than necessary," Katherine said in solemnly.

"And in this case we have to trust each other quite a bit."

"Yes. I'm not sure if that is unfortunate."

"We will both find out eventually, I'm sure."

"True. By the way, I'd like to offer my congratulations on the Gaidar Corporation. Your work was brilliant."

"Thank you." Domino said simply.

"So, are we together for the extent of this crisis?"

"We back each other?"

"Yes."

"The others, they will not be pleased with an alliance between us."

"Do they matter?" Katherine asked.

"No, I just thought it was worth mentioning. After all, once this crisis is over we have to deal with them alone."

"I doubt that worries you."

"No, but once again, it has to be mentioned."

"We will both survive Odotte-san."

"There is no doubt of that."

"I almost look forward to the day we are set as opposites. It will be a unique challenge."

"Why play games?" Domino got to her feet. "We both know that while we are at opposites, neither of us are willing to do anything about it yet."

"But we will cover it with a veneer of politeness. I'm glad we had this chance to talk."

"As am I." Domino walked to the door and pushed it open. "Good day Madigan-san." She bowed, then was gone.

Katherine stared at the closed door, wondering about the woman who had just left. It was most unfortunate that they could not be truly allied. Still, as long as they were working towards the same goal they would complement one another. And when the day came for conflict, well she had her own plans.

* * *

Sylia stepped out of the elevator, looking around the dark room. The windows were covered in blinds, the only light coming from small lamps scattered throughout the room. The floor was covered in cushions on which the people in the room lounged. The air was thick with the smoke of opium pipes.

Sylia threaded her way through the bodies, watching them all. She need not have worried. Almost everyone there was too stoned to do more than smile at her.

At the back of the room was an unmarked door. She pushed it open; light seemed to explode from it, lighting up the room behind her. She heard some voices mumble out complaints about the light. Sylia stepped through the door and closed it.

The office beyond was well lit, the window blinds drawn and the widow open slightly, letting in cold, February air. Fargo was leaning against the desk, looking out the window.

"Your choices of meeting places are going down hill," Sylia told him.

"Why would you say that. Opium is so Old World elegant. The drug for the well heeled. So they say."

"They say a lot of things."

He smiled. "We can talk here. I've been checking out the places you gave me."

"And?"

"Giovanni-san picked up his package at the store last night, returned home, and has been there ever since. For a hacker he certainly is not very paranoid."

"He's not really a hacker. He just makes the stuff, he does not use it."

"Might explain it. We are watching his apartment. If anyone goes into it or leaves it, we will know."

"Good."

"Now as for the place your friend told me about, it has been busier."

"Oh?"

"We've seen a number of people enter and exit it. I've got positive identification for several of them. Prometheus Bound, a cell. I don't expect any of them to be of any use to us. On the other hand, they did get a visitor of note." Fargo reached into a folder beside him and pulled out a page. He handed to Sylia.

It was a laser-printed photograph, obviously enhanced, of a man. It was hard to tell much about him, dark hair, pale skin, probably thin. "The visitor?" Sylia asked.

"Yes. Whoever he is, he's a pro. Very good. Managed to follow him for a time and he led my people to a warehouse where other members of Prometheus Bound are holed up. After that he lost the tail. I should mention that neither of these sites seem to be housing your special package, whatever that is."

"I see. How did you lose him? Did he spot your people?"

Fargo shook his head. "Doubtful. He just lost them. Like I said, he is good. I've got the warehouse being watched as well. Everything I have found out to date is in here," he reached out and put his hand on the folder.

"Good." Sylia reached forward and picked up the folder. "Anything you find out, report to me as soon as possible. If I, or a representative can't be reached, forward it to Chang-san right away."

"Right. So, want to go out and get something to eat?"

"No," Sylia said, then turned away and left the room.

Fargo smiled, then turned to look back out the window.

* * *

Linna came out of the steam filled shower room, rubbing her hair dry. She took a seat on the bench in front of her locker then pulled the door open.

Her body ached in a dull, sort of far off way. She was sure she would appreciate the half-day off and the extra sleep. Kikuchi-sensei had called everything early, pleased with the progress they were making.

Linna just wanted to go home and fall asleep until the next day but she felt she should get in touch with Sylia first and see if anything was up. That would be best. That would be the right thing to do. She hoped Sylia did not want anything from her.

Reaching into the locker she pulled out her gym bag and street clothes. She let the towel drop then got up and pulled her panties on then slipped into her bra. She was reaching around her back to do up the clasp when Mai Ariga, Andrea's assistant, came up to her.

"Linna-san, what do you think of the routines?" Mai asked her, like she had been asking every day, getting the dancers' opinions.

"It seemed to work a lot better today." Linna picked up her blouse and pulled it on. "Near the middle it felt a little off, you know? I think it was because we were all tired but hadn't got our second wind." She began to do the buttons up.

"Uh huh." She picked up a pencil and made a few notes on the clipboard she was carrying. "Oh, by the way, a Chang Reika-san called for you about an hour ago. Asked if you could give her a call, here's the number." She held out a piece of paper.

"Thanks."

"Uh huh," Mai said distractedly as she headed off on an intercept course with another dancer.

Linna looked down at the paper then placed it on the bench. She finished dressing quickly, then stuffed her leotard and other dancing clothes into the gym bagthey were going to need a wash. She sat down on the bench and removed her NAVI from the side pocket. She flipped it open and tapped in the number she had been given. It rang twice before someone picked up the phone on the other end.

"This is Chang." She heard Reika say.

"Reika-san, this is Linna, you called me?"

"Linna-san, I'm glad you called me. I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tonight? As friends, no business."

"That would be nice." Linna said, realising she was not going to be able to go home and pass out. At least not for long.

"Good, I found a nice restaurant the other day, semi-formal dress, I hope that won't be a problem."

"No, that's fine. I have a cocktail dress I've been wanting to wear for a few weeks."

"You can bring a date if you want."

"Unfortunately I'm currently between boyfriends."

"Poor girl," Reika laughed. "I can pick you up at your place around seven if that would be all right?"

"Yes, that sounds fine."

"Good, I'll see you then."

"Bye."

"Goodbye."

Linna hung up the phone. She shifted the gym bag's strap into a more secure position on her shoulder then headed towards the exit. She needed to take a short nap or she was going to be passing out on Reika and she still had to get in touch with Sylia.

* * *

Reika cradled the phone and leaned back in her chair. She was looking forward to her dinner with Linna that night. It would be nice to put the business behind her, at least partially, for a few hours.

Before she could take that break though she would have to get everything settled. The biggest obstacle ahead of her was linking her communications systems into the ADP net. The encryption protocols were the problem.

One of her commanders wanted to set up a relay that would convert their signals before sending them to the AD Police net. It was a good idea if they could get it done in an hour as opposed to three days.

She had ended up giving the AD Police their encryption protocols. They were going to have to change them all anyway. That explanation did not sit well with her sub-commander, who wondered, rather loudly, with all due respect, what secret she was going to give away next.

Then there were her contacts with the AD Police. Half the time she could not get in touch with Leon. So she had to deal with people she did not know. She was beginning to suspect that Leon had not told everyone about their plans. She was often greeted with bewilderment, in most cases, if not downright anger, in the case of the ADP Chief. She was worried that the man might have a heart attack.

Still, it was going as well as could be expected. Perhaps even a little better.

"Reika," Kou said as he entered the office.

"Kou, wonderful. I need to know about the aircav unit, can we make use of them or would that be pushing it?"

"It shouldn't be a problem but that's not important right now."

"It isn't?"

"Reika, I just heard, several hours ago, Donald, he's dead."

"Donald, dead?" Reika said, trying to put the image of her larger than life keyboardist together with the concept of death. It just would not work. "Genom?"

Kou almost told her that it might be, thinking that he could make it easier for her. He could not though. Who was he to try to hide her from the reality of the world?

"No, not very likely. It was a car accident. He had been drinking. You know how he always drank a little more than was good for him. He drove under the wheels of a transport truck, was killed instantly."

"He only drank when he was bored." The colour had drained from Reika's face. "If he had been working, if I hadn't put the record on hold..."

"Reika you can not blame yourself for this. Donald drank too much, we always told him it would cause problems. You can't take the blame for this."

"But..."

"No buts. Reika. This is not your fault." He stressed the words.

Reika stared at her desktop. She reached over and picked up a piece of paper then put it down, as if she was unsure what to do with it. She repeated the process with a pen. Kou wondered if the last bit of news had been too much.

"About the aircav, we can't use missiles of course but what about lasers? Can we get them mounted in time?" she asked Kou, suddenly all business.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Kou told her, wondering if the way she had chosen to deal with Donald's death was really for the best.

"Good. Now all we have to do it figure out how were are going to co-ordinate our actions with those of the ADP, TPD, and the THP."

"That will take a bit of doing."

"We might as well start now then, shouldn't we?" She looked at him.

Don't shut me out, Kou thought. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish," he said.

"Good." Reika nodded and pulled her laptop towards her. "Good."

* * *

"Here," Nene said, holding a brightly wrapped package towards Kaoru. She had caught up to him just as he was leaving the press room.

He gave her a slightly embarrassed smile. "Can you put it on top?" he asked, using his chin to indicate the large number of similar packages he was already carrying.

Nene put her package with the others. "Aren't we popular," she said.

Kaoru laughed. "Well, those women reporters are tough, but it is Valentines Day after all."

"I suppose," Nene told him. She had given him a larger and nicer box of chocolates than those she had given Leon, Daily, her fathershe had sent his by courierand other male friends in her life. It was not hand made chocolate, or the labour intensive hand knitted scarf, that was more than she was willing to give at that point in the budding relationship. Still, it was a good-sized box, and the chocolate was imported.

"How about dinner tonight?" he asked.

Nene was about to say yes, but remembered that Sylia wanted to see her, and the others, later. "Well, it will have to be a late dinner," she told him.

"Sorry, that's not good for me. How about lunch tomorrow, and a dinner to be determined later?"

"That would be fine," Nene said, smiling.

"Tonight might have been a bad choice anyway," he turned to look out the windows. "Going to be a big storm tonight."

Nene looked as well. The cool, clear February morning had been blown away with warm air from the south. That was also bringing thick clouds and the possibility of rain. "I don't know, being inside when it is raining out is always nice."

"Looking on the bright side. That is one of the many things that makes you so attractive."

Nene dropped her eyes slightly, a flush colouring her cheeks. She did not know what to say.

"I've got to go," he told her. "See you later."

"Yes," Nene looked up at him. "See you tomorrow."

He nodded, then turned and walked off.

Once he was gone Nene turned and put her forehead against the window. That probably could have gone a little better. She should have said something after he had complimented her. She wondered if she should call up Yukiko and ask her for some advice. That assumed Yukiko knew what to do in such a situation.

* * *

Linna had to be woken with a gentle nudge. She sat up, blinking her eyes. "Everyone is here," Priss told her, indicating Nene who had just come into Sylia's living room.

"Sorry I'm late, Leon-san was keeping me busy."

"I'm not even going to say it," Priss said.

"With work," Nene shot back. "He has me looking into Kyuusei."

"Does he know what is happening?"

"Some of it. I've confirmed a few things he already suspected. I told him nothing about the blood agent though." Nene took a seat on the end of the couch, next to Priss.

Sylia got to her feet. "Try to make sure he does not find out about that. It could be troublesome."

"Well, I still haven't officially found out about it, so that should not be too hard."

"Good. So far we have found two locations where members of Prometheus Bound are basing their operations. Chang-san knows about these, and they are being watched. When they move, we will know."

"We're not going to hit them in advance?" Priss asked.

"No. Keep yourself ready. I may be calling on you at any time."

"When this starts, what will we be doing?" Linna asked

"Chang-san wants us to stop any misuse of her company products. Specifically the GD-42s. Speaking of those, the ADP will also be using GD-42s, so be sure before you shoot."

"How did they get these things?" Priss asked.

"Leon-san talked to Chang-san," Nene told her.

"Good for him. That reminds me, we get to use the motoslaves on this job?" Priss asked.

Sylia nodded.

"Great," Priss said, clapping her hands together.

"What is this thing with big guns you have?" Linna asked.

"I just like to know that if I decide to shoot something it will not get up."

"As always," Sylia said, "the use of the motoslave's weapons is to be carefully considered."

"Poor Priss-san," Nene said, "you'll have to think."

Priss punched Nene in the shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't think," she said.

"Bosozoku(motorcycle punk)," Nene said softly.

"I think things will start happening soon," Sylia told the other three women, ignoring Priss and Nene's actions. "I want you all to be ready. Take some time to check your suits and your motoslaves before you leave tonight. Mackie is going over them right now, but I want you to be sure. That is all for now."

"Works for me," Priss said, getting to her feet.

Linna looked at her watch. She was going to have to hurry if she was going to make her dinner with Reika. "No time like the present," Linna said, getting to her feet and hurrying off towards the elevator.

"What's the rush?" Priss asked as she followed after Linna.

"Is Mackie down there right now?" Nene asked Sylia.

"Yes. Why?"

"Nothing," Nene said, then followed after Priss and Linna.

Sylia watched them go, then turned and walked towards her office. She had work to do.

* * *

Priss walked into the hardsuit locker room. All four of the lockers were open, the hard suits in semi-sitting positions. Mackie was kneeling by Linna's suit; a diagnostic computer plugged into an interface socket inside the neck of the hardsuit.

"Oi, Mackie," Priss called.

Mackie looked up at Priss.

"Catch," Priss said, tossing him something.

Mackie caught it. It was a Lotte chocolate bar.

"Giri choko(obligation chocolate)," Priss told him.

"Thanks," he said.  
"You're welcome, you little pervert," she told him as she grabbed one of the diagnostic computers from the shelf.

"Here Mackie-san," Nene said, walking into the room. She took one of the boxes of chocolate from her purse. "I'd like to apologise for my gender, but I kind of think Priss-san is Y suppressed." She handed the box to Mackie.

"Careful Romanova," Priss said as she began to work on her suit. "Even if your dangerous assumption that I don't know what you are talking about is true, there is nothing to stop me from looking it up later."

"I'm sorry," Nene said, not that seriously, as she walked over to where the diagnostic computers were kept.

"Thanks Nene," Mackie said, holding up the box.

"Sorry, I kind of forgot the day," Linna said to Mackie.

"I'll give you one of my extra chocolate bars," Priss said, plugging the computer into her suit.

"No thanks," Linna said. "I'll owe you a box of chocolates," Linna told him, then she picked up a diagnostic computer and walked to her suit.

"No problem," Mackie told her, moving out of the way so Linna could check her own suit.

It did not take them long to check their suits over. Priss and Linna were soon gone, going to look their motoslaves over before leaving. Nene hung behind and waited until they had left. "Mackie-san, are you really busy, or just busy?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

"Why?"

"There's something I could use some help with."

"What?"

"Come on, I'll show you." She straightened and left the suit locker room.

Mackie got up and followed after her. While he was certain that whatever Nene wanted help with was fairly harmless, he was also hoping that maybe this was a ploy on Nene's part. It was Valentine's day after all.

Nene led him to her locker and opened it. She removed the box she had placed in there earlier, tucked it under her arm, then closed the locker door. "Let's go to the lab," she said.

Mackie followed after her, still not sure what she wanted. He had not quite given up his fantasies, but he was worried about the box. What sort of equipment might Nene need? He shook his head.

Nene put the box on one of the tables, opened it, and brought forth the contents. "Before you say anything, it is not a dead cat."

"Then what is it?" Mackie asked, looking at the mostly black cat that Nene was holding up by the scruff of its neck.

"It's a quadruped boomer."

"What?"

"A pet, cat boomer. A failed idea on Genom's part."

"I thought they destroyed all of them."

"Not this one." Nene lay the boomer on the table, stroking its fur into order.

Mackie looked at it, then reached down, running his fingers over its body. He opened its mouth and stared down its throat. It looked surprisingly life like. "What do you want to do with it. Cut it up and use the parts?"

Nene restrained herself from pointing out how cruel that was. "No, I want to fix it."

"Why?" He looked up at her, letting go of the cat.

"Well, it is just an idea I have. I can hack the behaviour programs and anything else that we need software wise, but I am going to need some help with the rest of it."

"What's your idea?"

Nene picked up the cat. "Let's run this through the NMR and see what is up, then I'll tell you."

Mackie thought about it. "Okay, but I'll need help checking over all the motoroids."

"Deal," Nene said.

* * *

The rain was falling, a constant hiss, filling the night with its sound. The doors of Raven's garage were all closed, except for one, which was only opened halfway. Priss sat on the grease stained floor, her bike up in a support harness, held off the ground. Both of the wheels were off, making it look like a wounded animal.

She was lying under it, a flashlight in one hand, a screwdriver in the other. As much as she liked the speed and performance her bikes gave her, sometimes she wondered why she bothered. Those times were usually when she trying to fix or modify them.

"Hey, Priss-san, you in here?" a familiar voice called out.

Priss shifted around and looked towards the half open door. Miako was crouched down, looking into the garage. She held an umbrella over her head. "Miako?" she called out.

"Hey, Priss," Miako shifted under the door, then stood up, putting her dripping umbrella down on the floor. "Busy?"

"A little. How did you find me here?"

"Did I do wrong?" She smiled and walked over to Priss. "I asked around a bit. It seems if you aren't in your trailer, it might be possible to find you here. I couldn't see you riding around in weather like this, so I decided to take a chance."

"Yeah." Priss got to her feet, wiped her hands on her coveralls, and looked around. "Something up?"

"I thought, if you had the time, we could go and get something to eat. Maybe have some fun."

"Maybe. I got to finish up here first though. Do you want to wait?"

"No." She smiled. "But I will."

Priss nodded. "Can you get me that tire over there?"

"Sure." Miako walked over to the tire, shifted it upright, then rolled it over to Priss. "What are you up to?"

"Thought I'd try these new smart tires," Priss told her, moving the tire to the rear of the bike.

"Smart tires?"

"The tire adjusts itself, retractable studs, alters its shape, as the conditions require. So the advertising says."

"If I knew anything about bikes, I'm sure I'd be impressed."

Priss smiled. "If it works as advertised it will be very impressive. Hand me that wrench."

Priss worked on the bike, saying little. Miako took a seat on the tool kit, handing Priss tools as she asked for them. Miako occasionally suggested restaurants where they might eat. Priss really did not care.

"You're pretty comfortable here," Miako said as she handed Priss a socket wrench.

"What?"

"You just seemed pretty relaxed. This place a home away from home?"

"More of a home away from hole."

"Ah, so living in an abandoned trailer is not your idea of a classy residence. I must admit I was a little worried."

"It's cheap."

"And it looks it. Did you work here, or do you work here?"

"Not really. I had a lot of my bikes built here, got to know the owner pretty well. Just a sec," Priss said as she put the wrench down. "Ojisan!"

"Hakase!" Raven yelled as he came out of his office.  
"Ojisan, this is Forest Miako, a photographer friend of mine. Miako-san, this is Raven-hakase, or ojisan."

"Nice to meet you," Miako said. "You got an interesting place here."

"Thank you," Raven said.

"Deal in any old cars?"

"Pardon?"

"Old cars. I got a thing for older cars."

"Not often, though I do have something. A '04 Miata, North American, with a V8 in it."

"Miata?"

"Went by Roadster in Nihon."

"A Roadster with a V8? This I have to see." She walked over to Raven.

"Come on, it's out back."

"Priss-san, be back soon."

"Sure," Priss said, turning her attention back to her bike. She almost had the front tire on.

When Miako returned to where Priss was working, Priss had her bike out of the support frame.

"Finished?" Miako asked.

"Yeah, now I just need to take it out."

"What? Now? In the rain?"

"What's the point of putting tires like this on if you are not going to use them?"

"How about we take my car. That way when we get to the restaurant, you won't be soaked. I'll drop you off back here, or wherever you want afterwards."

Priss did not care for being a passenger in someone else's vehicle, but Miako did have a point. It would not be a dry ride.

"I'll put the bike up on the rollers, make sure the wheels behave as they should," Raven called out.

Priss nodded. "All right. Oh," she walked over to her jacket. "Got something for you." She searched through her pockets until she found the chocolate bar. "Here you go Ojisan," she said, tossing him the bar.

"Hakase," Raven snapped, even as he grabbed the chocolate.

Priss smiled as she unzipped the coveralls she had been wearing.

"Raven-san," Miako said. "When can the car be ready?"

"I'll have everything put together in three or four days. You have my card. Call me."

"Right."

"You're buying it?" Priss asked as she hung her coveralls up.

"Sure. Cute little thing, with a huge engine under the hood. Who would have thought anyone would put a V8 in that car?"

Priss shrugged her shoulders. Cars were not her thing. "I'll probably stop by tomorrow to grab my bike," Priss told Raven.

"It will be ready for you."

Priss turned towards Miako. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"Later," Priss called to Raven.

They left the garage, ducking under the door. Miako grabbed her umbrella, swung it over both her and Priss to keep the rain off them.

"That your car?" Priss asked, looking at the red car parked close by.

Miako nodded. "Used to be a THP chase car. Bought it at auction, had a friend fix it up for me."

"Why do you need another car?"

"I'll sell this one once I get this new one." She unlocked the passenger door and pulled it open for Priss. "This one has begun to bore me a little."

Priss got into the car and pulled the door shut. She reached across and unlocked the driver's door for Miako.

"Thanks," Miako said as she opened the door. She folded the umbrella up and tossed it into the back seat, then slid into the driver's seat. "Let's go."

* * *

Dinner had not been quite the enjoyable experience that Reika and Linna had been hoping for. Reika, without work to take her mind off everything had finally had to deal with the death of Donald. She tried her best to be a good hostess, but could see that her true feelings were coming through and effecting Linna. That just made her feel worse.

Linna was tired, even with the rest she had managed, and was not up to salvaging the evening. She wondered why Reika was so upset but could not really bring herself to find out. She doubted she was up to dealing with it. It was not a particularly friendly attitude but it was better than trying to be helpful and failing utterly because she was exhausted.

Kou had decided there was little he could do to help Reika, she just had to get over it herself. He did manage to keep a semblance of polite conversation going through the entire meal, following Reika around had given him a number of interesting stories that managed to keep both Linna and Reika entertained. He even got Reika to laugh a few times.

It was not easy though and by the end of the meal he felt it was probably less work to be involved in a running fire fight.

Reika, her mind turned to darker thoughts, made a request of Linna that the other woman could not refuse, as much as she would have liked to.

Some time later the limousine was parked by the side of a relatively deserted road and Kou, Reika and Linna were out of the vehicle, under umbrellas.

When the second great Kanto earthquake of 2025 had hit Tokyo, the city had, in effect been levelled. The damage caused by the quake itself had been quite extensive but the fires afterwards had destroyed almost twice as much.

In the end there were few structures that had not been touched by the quake and its effects. It was thanks to Genom and their MegaTokyo project that the city was almost fully rebuilt.

Of course Genom had not only promised to rebuild the city but improve upon it. To one such end was the complete rebuilding of the road system.

They had brought in experts, used months of computer time to run simulations, looked the world over for ideas. The new road system was an incredible success, by all estimates it would be obsolete nearly twenty years after it was built. An impressive feat when other cities' attempts led to road systems that were obsolete before they were completed.

A number of original road systems had survived the quakes, the elevated highways just one of them. The computer simulations had shown that trying to make extensive use of many of them would just lead to further problems.

So they had been left alone.

So there were roadways, like the ones that Linna, Reika and Kou stood upon, that were almost always deserted. It was for that reason the Linna had been the only witness to Irene's death.

Linna moved under the bridge that Irene had been dropped from and let her umbrella dip. She had told Reika about that night, in much detail as she could remember. The boomer that had killed Irene, and that Linna had destroyed, was one thing about that night that Linna could describe in detail.

Reika had wanted to know more. Things that Linna did not know or that she did know but was unable to tell her.

She knelt on the wet road, heedless of the water soaking her skirt and stockings. Her umbrella fell from her hands but Kou was above her, shielding her from the rain with his.

Looking down at the road surface Reika tried to find some sign of her sister. A bit of blood, some chalk markings, anything. Rationally she knew there would be nothing. Too many rains had washed across the pavement of the so little used roadway; any traces had been erased by time.

She got slowly to her feet and looked up at the bridge, seeing in her mind the female boomer holding Irene out in the air. Long, razor sharp nails extending from her fingers, coated with her sister's blood.

Reika screamed. It was the sound of a lost soul. It was the last vestige of grief. It was all her anger wrapped into a tight ball.

Her hand went under her jacket. She pulled the revolver free of its holster. With a two handed grip she lined it up with the figure her imagination put on the bridge.

The weapon discharged twice, shattering the almost silence of the rainy night.

Linna winced at the scream. She winced even more at the two gunshots, putting her shoulders up, closing her eyes.

Kou hardly reacted at all. He just watched Reika.

Reika thumbed the safety back on and returned the weapon to her holster. She bent down and picked up her fallen umbrella.

"We can go now," Reika told Kou.

Kou walked to the limousine and pulled the passenger door open. Reika entered, shutting the umbrella even as she slid into the car.

Linna walked hesitantly up to the car, wondering if she might just walk home instead.

"Talk to her," Kou said to her.

"What?"

"Talk to her. She needs a friend. I'm too close. I'll ride up front."

"Okay." Linna nodded then got in the car. She got the umbrella caught on the roof as she tried to close it and ended up getting a little wet before she could get into the car.

Kou closed the door then circled around to the opposite side of the car and got in beside the driver. A moment later the car was pulling out onto the road, heading back towards the roads that saw heavy use.

"What is it?" Linna asked Reika. "This goes beyond Irene doesn't it?"

"A friend of mine was killed last night, car accident," Reika said after a moment.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Reika looked own at her feet. "You know, it's kind of funny."

"What?"

"In the past few days I've killed some people, without much thought, I just did it. When I had the man who I thought was responsible for killing my sister at my mercy, I could not shoot him."

"That's funny?"

"I think so. Look at tonight, I bravely shot two rounds into open air. I wonder if I had been there when it happened if I could have fired those shots?"

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"I wish I knew. This has been a hell of a few days. I almost wish I had just taken your advice and just gone on with singing."

"Maybe that was not good advice."

"Of course it wasn't." Reika smiled slightly. "But it was given in good faith, as a friend."

Reika went back to staring at the floor and Linna said nothing more, waiting for Reika to start the conversation up again if she so chose.

"Linna, have you ever killed anyone?"

"I don't suppose boomers count?"

"Do you think they count?"

"No, not really, not the one's I've dealt with," Linna said, she gave the matter some serious thought for the first time. "Well maybe one."

"The one that killed Irene?" Reika asked.

"Yes. It, she seemed to enjoy killing. I would consider that human."

"Did you want to kill her?"

"Yes, I think so," Linna said.

"And you did."

"There was no real choice, she was trying to kill me." Linna was careful to keep her tone from being defensive.

"There is always a choice. I found that out. Did you have to go to that fight?"

Linna did not answer, she just considered the question for several seconds. Reika had made her think along a number of new lines. She did not like it much.

"So what does that mean?" Linna asked.

"That when the time came you were willing to do what you thought necessary."

"Isn't that why you are trying to succeed your grandfather?"

"Pardon?"

"You were willing to put your dreams on hold to do what you felt right. That you were unwilling to kill Quincy does not really matter. That you killed in self-defence does not really matter, well kind of. I think you are one of the most decent people I have ever met."

"Thank you Linna."

"Of course your shooting into the air was not incredibly bright."

"I suppose not," Reika said a little sheepishly. "It felt right though. Thank you for being a friendly ear."

"Everyone needs someone to talk to occasionally."

"Yes. They do."

* * *

**Cultural Notes:  
****  
**Valentines Day - The rules of Valentines Day in Japan differ from those in North America. On the 14th of February women and girls give gifts, usually of chocolates, to men and boys. It should be noted that on the 14th of March, as I recall, is a holiday called White Day, on which the boys and men return the favour and give gifts for all the ones they received.

Which is all wonderful for the candy companies.

While this gift giving is romantic, women often give chocolate to all the men in their lives, fathers, co-workers, and the like. This is giri(obligation) choco(chocolate) and is not related to romance.

**Tech Notes:**

Smart Tires - As Priss explained, these tires use a series of computer-controlled pistons to alter the shape of the tire. They decrease the amount of tire on the road, decreasing the speed lost to friction, during conditions where traction is not needed and increase it in cases where it is. They can even help to smooth out a ride a little.

These tires, if properly installed, decrease all driving target numbers by 2. To properly install them require a difficult Bike B/R skill roll, and an average Computer skill roll.

_"Since it's the samurai's business to destroy rebels and disorderly elements and give peace to the three classes of the people, even the least of those bearing this title must never commit violence of injustice against these three classes. One should always be considerate to these people, sympathetic to the farmers one one's estates and careful that artisans are not ruined"  
_- **Daidoji Yuzan**


	14. Flash Powder 8

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 8 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

"So, what is it this time?" Sylia asked Fargo. They were in her car, parked in the underground parking lot of Tokyo City Hall.

"I've found two more places where Prometheus Bound is operating out of, that's four so far, with five of your GD-42s accounted for. Still no sign of anything resembling your special package."

"I see. You did not call me out to tell me that."

"No. Giovanni had a visitor."

"Really?"

"Woman, picked up the computer."

"Where did she go?"

"Followed her to Shinjuku. She went into the closed off areas, couldn't follow her any longer."

"Did she leave the area?"

"Doubt it."

"Is there something special about Shinjuku?" Sylia asked softly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just history. How can we find them?"

"You'll like this."

"What?"

"Giovanni-san, like I said, not very paranoid."

"The point?"

"He went out for ramen, I sent one of my people in. She's not in this Giovanni's league, but she's good enough. She planted a tracer in it."

"Will it be found?"

"If they take it apart and break certain components open."

"Will it effect the performance?"

"No."

"Is it emitting a signal?"

"Not yet."

"Explain."

"This," he held up a NAVI, "will send out a signal, which will reach anywhere a NAVI, or cel phone would. When the tracer picks that up it sends out a signal to this NAVI here. The inertial locator we planted in the computer should tell you exactly where it is at that time, as well as a trace of everywhere it has been, and a time stamp. The signal pulse will be about one second. That should make it hard to pick up."

"Good." Sylia reached out and took the NAVI. Fargo let his fingers brush Sylia's fingers. Sylia frowned slightly at that. "How many of these are there?" She waved the NAVI.

"That's the only one. It's a thirty-digit code, already entered. The tracer should not be accidentally set off."

"Satisfactory."

"Glad you appreciate it." He opened the car door. "I'll keep on this."

Sylia nodded. "There will be a bonus for this," she told him.

"Yeah," Fargo said, smiling. Sylia always reminded him that they had a business relationship and little more. "Take care." He closed the door.

The car started up and pulled out of the parking space, leaving Fargo behind.

Fargo pulled his coat about him and walked off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Domino and Katherine stood in front of Quincy's desk, waiting.

"We have received a message recently. It hints that unless we turn the OMS over, they will use the AF-5," he said, in a disinterested tone, almost as if he was speaking about the weather outside.

"Did they send a sample of the blood agent?" Domino asked.

"No."

"Then they probably have not cracked the codes yet. Still, it is interesting."

"Yes." Katherine nodded. "The boomer technology is one thing, the OMS is quite another."

"That is why I am letting you know about this," Quincy said, turning in his chair to look out the windows. "Keep this in mind. There is more to this than we know."

Both women recognised a dismissal when they heard it. They bowed, almost in unison, then turned and walked from the office. Without saying anything they went to Domino's office suite, passing through the empty outer office and into Domino's office.

"What do you think?" Katherine asked.

"I think our opponent has just tipped their hand."

"What do you know about the Largo affair?" Katherine asked.

"Only what is in the official reports," Domino lied. "He did want the OMS."

"Yes, he did," Katherine said, something cool in her voice.

"But he is dead."

"What does that mean for a boomer?"

"Perhaps this is just a smoke screen, flash powder to make us look one way while a magician does something over there. By asking for the OMS, they make us waste time chasing shadows."

Katherine nodded. "Perhaps. We can't afford to ignore it though."

Domino nodded.

"How is Chang-san holding up?"

"Well, for now. She has given us two locations of the terrorists and the weapons. One we already knew about."

"How many locations do we know of now?"

"Six, accounting for eight of GD-42s. We're watching them."

"Are you still willing to let the ADP handle most of this? It will give them credibility if they succeed."

"I have no problem with that. It will make it easier to introduce more boomers to the city if people think the ADP can handle them."

"Yes. I suppose that is true. And it might be of more use if people see the ADP as an anti-terrorist group instead of an anti-Genom group. And if the ADP is not up to it, we might make a suggestion for a new force to deal with these threats," Katherine said.

Domino nodded.

"I think that takes care of business for now. I'm sure that we will speak soon."

Domino showed Katherine out of her office suite, then returned to her office. She turned the lights down and then searched out the room remote. Mozart started coming softly through the speakers hidden about the room. The blinds over the windows pulled back, letting her see out over the city, not that there was much to see. The Tower was cloaked in clouds. It looked cold though, cold and wet and uncomfortable.

Domino suddenly realised something. She was lonely.

She did not want to be alone.

She had little choice though.

D was out there, searching for leads that she herself had given her. No chance for her to talk to her first friend. Plus she was feeling the need for something more than a talk with a friend.

Haruko.

How she wished she had not promoted the young woman, if only for that night. Domino wondered what it was about the cold rain that was affecting her so?

There were a number of other men and women Domino could think of but she had to reject them for a number of reasons. A sign of weakness, a connection she was not willing to deal with, having to give something of herself to one she wanted to give nothing. For a moment she considered Taeko, if only because it would be the perfect opportunity to kill him.

Unfortunately she knew that she would never get away with it. It would take at least a month to arrange things so that she might be able to kill a member of the Genom Executive Board and not have the Chairman find out.

She had not had a chance to explore her own sexuality, too busy, too scared at times. She knew she could walk into any bar, any restaurant, any hotel, or any house, in the city and entice anyone she chose into her bed. She was a 33-S and it was what they did. That was not the problem.

Her problem was a nagging sense that she should make the first time as special as possible.

It was ridiculous.

Mason had considered sex nothing more than a tool when he could use it as such, and as a release. She knew that more from his diaries than his memories which were without emotional content to her.

Largo had not even considered it from what Domino could tell by the sketchy diary he left behind.

Unfortunately in that respect she was neither of them. She wanted to blame it on the 33-S body she used, but she was not really sure of that. Maybe it was because thought she was in love. Or was she in love with the concept of being in love? Shades of 'The Twelfth Night', she thought.

The analytical part of her mind, the part she had started calling her silicon soul, was telling her that she was being foolish. If she had an urge, she should just find a way to satisfy it. To give a simple urge such emotional weight was a weakness she could not afford. Or simply close off that urge with the housekeeping computer. It was all so easy.

Domino was not so sure.

Everyone had a weakness of some sort as far as she could tell. Hers was fairly minor after all, easily dealt with for the most part, and it did not interfere with her work. If all she had to deal with was the occasional bout of melancholia on rainy nights, she would persevere.

Still, Domino thought, as she began to unbutton her blouse, there were other options open to her. Perhaps not as emotionally fulfilling but they would help her pass some time. She slid her fingers under her open blouse and ran her fingertips up her stomach and then cupped her brassier covered breasts in her hands.

* * *

"Where's the money man gone to?" Yoshito asked Laura.

"Another of his little walkabouts," Laura told him as she entered a few commands into the computer then turned around to face her boss. She sat near the forward end of the storage cylinder, her new computer hooked into the cylinder's system. "I don't particularly like it."

"He's the man with the plan, the honey with the money."

"Do you ever listen to yourself?"

"Why? No one else ever does."

"I'm serious Yoshito. This guy worries me a bit. Good at his job and everything, but he gets twitchy as time goes by, like he's suffering from withdrawal or something. Then he heads out and comes back several hours later looking more relaxed. There is something wrong with him."

"That may be true, but he's the one paying us, and so far I have seen nothing to make me think he is going to be a problem. How's your work going?"

"Well enough. We've got enough codes to keep this thing purring along for a week or so, which is good. Right now I'm trying to get this thing to open up for me," she told him.

"How is that going?"

"Slow. There is a clever little set up here. If this thing ever realises that I'm trying to crack it, it will spoilsport on us and we've got nothing but a bunch of useless gasses. I have to constantly tell the computer in this thing that I am not doing what I am doing. Makes for slow going. Furthermore I can never just sit back and let the computer run codes."

"Think you'll get it cracked in time?" he asked.

"Who knows. We really going to use this?"

"That's up to the money man."

"I don't like it. Chemical weapons, biological, nuclear, they are a bit too indiscriminate for me."

"And dumping viruses into computers and watching what happens is not?"

"Cute."

"We do our jobs. We get paid well for it. That's all there is to it," Yoshito stated.

"And we don't have any lines we won't cross?"

"Trust me Laura my dear, morals will screw you right around in this business, but don't worry. If the blood agent was so important to the money man, do you think he would just be leaving it like this?"

"So, because he acts irrational, letting him control a chemical weapon that could kill hundreds of thousands is okay?"

"Exactly."

"You're an idiot," she said.

"I've been called worse. Just sit tight, crack the code so the money man can send a sample to Genom, if he so chooses, and relax. That and get ready to run like hell."

"Relax, right."

"Take care. I'll try to drop by again before everything happens, but no promises." Yoshito walked towards the exit.

Laura watched him go, then turned back to her computer. "Okay, let's try this again shall we."

* * *

Sylia sat on the couch in the living room. She folded her NAVI shut and placed it on the table. Another report from Fargo. Everything was still quiet, but certain activity suggested something might be underway. What ever was going to happen, would probably happen within the next few days.

Reaching forward, Sylia picked up a magazine from others that lay on the tabletop. It was 'The International Scientific Journal', one of the many journals she subscribed to. The one she was holding was a preview copy.

On the front cover was a picture of her father, seated beside the first boomer. The magazine contained a number of articles about boomers, from construction, to AI functions to papers on the sociology of the boomer. It also included her paper. Richard Mastason had pulled some strings to get in included.

She flipped through pages, noting what the various writers had to say. Some of them got it right, some did not. Her own research into the field was a few steps ahead of most everyone else, if the articles she was reading were to be taken as an indication.

She wondered if the paper would cause problems in the future. Not long ago Sylia Stingray was the daughter of Katsuhito Stingray. She had been, as far as the world was concerned, a no one. Well, not quite true, but her fame came through her relation to her father.

Now there was a chance she would become, quite likely, a shining star in the boomer community. That would mean attention. It would mean attention from Genom. That was the last thing she needed.

She was also not sure about any of her research. Was it her work, her brilliance, or something forced on her by her father? Could she ever really be sure? Thank you very much Otousan, she thought not without a touch of bitterness.

She dropped the magazine back to the table and leaned back in the couch. She thought again about Bestar-san's proposal. Perhaps it was something she should seriously consider?

Sylia shook her head as she got to her feet. She had work to do.

A few minutes later she was reviewing the information that Nene had dug up and making notes. She turned her chair slightly looking at a display, a schematic, of a motoroid. She tapped a few keys on the arms of her chair then switched her attention to a schematic of the Sky Carrier. Mackie would have the new ECM package installed soon, she thought. Hopefully it would be as good as the specs claimed.

Sylia looked over a few more things, then began to shut her system down, putting it into sleep mode. She ran a security check, one last thing, and noted that Mackie and Nene were still down in the basement storage and workshop area.

Strange, she thought, looking at the time. Mackie should have long since finished his work, as should have Nene. She wondered if perhaps there was something wrong with some piece of equipment. She finished shutting the computer down and got to her feet. Best to check things out.

As she walked towards the elevator she realised that there might be another reason that Nene and Mackie were still down there. She put that thought out of her mind, deciding that it was not very likely.

She found them both in her lab, their backs to her, obviously working on something. As soon as she entered the room both Nene and Mackie turned to look at her.

"Is something wrong with any of the equipment?" Sylia asked them.

"No," Mackie told her. "We got everything checked, it's all ready to go."

"We're just working on something," Nene explained. "I asked for Mackie-san's help. I hope you don't mind."

"What is it that is keeping you late," Sylia walked across the lab and looked down at the table where they had been working. Lying there was a cat, the fur and artificial muscles peeled back, showing the cybernetic organs and systems underneath. "Genom boomer pet," she said.

"I found it today," Nene told her.

"And you want to get it running," Sylia said, picking up the scans next to it. "It's in surprisingly good condition."

"We've already made the basic repairs," Mackie said.

"And I can get the necessary programs. We have a slight problem though."

"What?" Sylia turned to look at Nene.

"Well, this is what I was planning," Nene grabbed several pages and handed them to Sylia.

Sylia took them, then began to flip through the pages, looking at the diagrams, and reading the specs. "You basically want to make this into a four legged hacking computer," she said, looking at Nene.

Nene nodded. "More than that though. It will also function as a observation platform, with surveillance and ECM/ECCM capabilities."

"Do you plan to bring it on missions with us?" Sylia asked, taking a closer look at the diagrams.

"I kind of thought about it, but decided that I probably had watched too many shoujo anime. It is a helper for when I have to be out of my suit."

Sylia wanted to sigh. Sometimes she felt less like the leader of a mercenary company and more like a den mother, or an older sister. It was a rather interesting concept though. It would present something of a challenge. While the initial designs were good, neither Nene nor Mackie would get it to work. "I'll see what I can do," Sylia said, putting the pages down and turning back towards the cat.

"Really?" Nene asked.

Sylia nodded as she gently prodded the cat. "It's an interesting project, and the boomer pets have always interested me. I expect that Genom will revive the project in a few years."

"Why did they cancel it?" Nene asked.

"Officially, they were worried about malfunctions occurring. Unofficially they needed a loss for tax reasons and it was a project they could cancel. I also suspect they were worried about what you are planning. These things would make an excellent spy platform. That's for later though," Sylia turned to face Nene and Mackie. "You aren't of any use to me if you exhaust yourself," Sylia told them, ushering them out of the lab.

She shut off the power and locked the door before leaving. She'd get to work on the cat after the current crisis had passed.

* * *

Leon was wired on caffeine, sugar and what the less charitable might call amphetamines. A desire to start laughing kept washing over him every few minutes. Since nothing was particularly funny he was more than a little worried about it. He had been up most of the night before, not that he regretted that, and he had not managed to get any rest for the entire day.

He had been kept busy with a number of thing, most of all getting the GD-42s into the ADP. Twelve of the weapons systems, with tech crews and pilots had just become part of the ADP. It had been the best way Leon thought of to protect them from possible prosecution, if things went bad. The 42s would attract the most attention in any action that the HouBang forces might be involved in.

Officially the AD Police was considering purchasing the GD-42s and Kyuusei Industries was kindly providing them with some test units, on paper. The incredible coincidence that such a thing coincided with the action that might be coming could be passed off as just that, a coincidence.

It was all above board, assuming no one dug too deep. With a few days time they could bury everything deep enough that even digging would not reveal anything. The personnel were even being paid by the AD Police, though their daily wages were such that the change in Leon's pocket would cover a week's pay for all of them.

On the sides of the mechs the AD Police symbol was being painted, which also took care of the problem of the possibility of them coming under friendly fire.

"McNichol!" The familiar bellow rung out across the motor pool. The ADP crew winced at that voice. The Kyuusei people were not familiar with the voice, but they recognised the look on the faces of the people they were working with. Obviously the boss had come.

Leon took a deep breath and then turned to face Chief Todo. "Oi, good evening Chief," Leon said, a big smile on his face.

Todo stalked up to Leon, moving close, forcing Leon to take a step back. "Care to explain what is happening here?" His voice was deceptively soft.

"Well," Leon looked around, "the GD-42s are being prepped, and the ADP symbol is being painted on them."

"Don't jerk me around McNichol! Explain to me why you have military vehicles down here."

"They go nice with the K-12s?"

"Answer me or I'll have you up on disciplinary charges!"

"They are part of the ADP's motor pool. We are testing them for possible inclusion in the ADP table of equipment."

"And what gives you the right to do that!"

"It's in our charter. You, and senior officers, are allowed to obtain equipment for testing, as long as it only comes out of our budget surplus."

"We don't have a budget surplus!"

"It is being paid for out of my discretionary fund."

"Your discretionary fund is hardly enough to get your men drunk once a month. You expect me to believe that you paid for all this," he waved his hand about, indicating the GD-42s, "with that money?"

"I got a good deal. I also talked to Yamanaka-san. It's all irregular, but it is legal."

Todo said nothing for a time. "I'm taking this up to the head of police services. If these things are still around when the investigation is launched, you can say good bye to your career." With that Todo turned and walked away.

"Bye, bye," Leon said, watching him storm off.

"Is this bad?" one of the Kyuusei techs asked.

"What?" Leon looked over at the woman. "No, not a problem at all. It will take at least a month for all the paperwork to go through and the investigation to start. You won't be here. Also, Todo-san will word everything so that the minute you leave everything will fall through."

"You mean he is supporting you in this?"

"Keep that quiet will you?" Leon said to the woman. "And relax."

"Well," she did not look fully convinced, "we've got everything taken care of, we're ready to go."

Leon nodded. "Okay," he called out. "Go and get some rest. Something could happen any time now. I want everyone ready when it does."

Everyone was more than happy to follow his orders. Lights started going out in the large garage as people began to pack up. Leon took a look around, then turned and walked towards the elevators. He would head up to the senior staff lounge and pass out on one of the couches.

* * *

Yoshito walked past the two members of Prometheus Bound, pilots for the single A3 stored in the house's garage. He ignored them and walked over to Robert.

"How are things going?" Robert asked him.

"Same old same old." He moved closer to Robert. "I think some of our locations have been compromised."

"Wonderful. How do you want to deal with it?"

"As long as we get out, I don't really care what happens to Prometheus Bound."

"Cold."

"That's my job," Yoshito told him.

Robert looked at the two men who were on the other side of the room. One was wearing a suit, though his jacket was draped across a chair, and his tie was loose around his neck. He was reading through one of the manuals for the A3. The other one, a big, beefy man was pacing back and forth, occasionally stopping to throw punches at shadows.

"Junpei deserves better."

"Who is he?"

"The shorter one, the one who is not an idiot. Just a banker who was a Neo-Ludite before some Prometheus Bound member convinced him to join up," Robert said.

"What's the big guy's story?"

"Suguru. I checked him out, Junpei too, out of curiosity. Suguru has a criminal record, bounced around from job to job, usually fired due to either gross stupidity or just laziness. He thinks that boomers are taking jobs from him."

Yoshito laughed. Suguru turned to look at him and Robert. He scowled and went back to his angry pacing.

"Ask him if he is willing to do the jobs boomers do?" Yoshito asked.

"I don't have to. It would just make him angrier. Out of all the people they gave me, he actually makes a half decent pilot."

"He's the pilot?"

"I was not about to put him in charge of the weapon systems. Junpei will do just fine."

"So Suguru is an idiot who is looking for someone or something to blame his problems on. Just like all racists."

"Is hating boomers racism?" Robert asked.

"Depends on who you talk to, I guess. So, you ready to go?"

"I guess. Do we have a go time yet?"

"Tomorrow, about an hour after it gets dark," Yoshito said.

"That's pretty vague."

"Do you think you could get these people to meet an exact timing?"

"There is that."

"Listen, once you unlock the door to the armoury and that A3 is ready to go, get out of here. Don't look back. And be careful."

"Right. How many people do we still have in the city?"

"Ten."

"Not many."

"That's just the way I like it." Yoshito smiled.

"So, what do we do after this?"

"There's a warlord in Laos who wants a team to train his soldiers and provide security until his people are up to speed. Dog and pony show sort of stuff really. Pays well."

"Sounds interesting. A nice break."

"I hope so. Why don't you get a few hours of sleep? I'll keep an eye on things down here."

"Thanks." Robert got to his feet. "Keep an eye on Suguru, he's prone to do something stupid."

"I know the type."

Robert nodded and headed towards the bedroom in the back of the house.

* * *

Reika stood on the roof of the Kyuusei Building, a number of her security personnel behind her. There was some muttering about snipers and the like, but Reika was not really listening.

She looked out over the cityscape and up at the sky. The clouds were dispersing, thinning, blown across the sky. A crescent moon was like, Reika thought for a moment, trying to remember the line, a ghostly galleon, tossed upon a stormy sea. A few stars were still visible, but they were beginning to fade in the faint light of the coming dawn.

Leaning upon the raised lip of the roof, she looked over the city again. Suddenly the buildings were tombstones, thrust up from the ground, marking the resting-places of dreams that had died. The Tower was a mausoleum, where the undead of the city resided. For a moment she could clearly picture Domino Odotte as a vampire.

Just as suddenly as the strange vision had come to her it was gone. The city was just a city once more.

She pulled her coat tighter about her as the wind picked up, the damp air cutting through her clothing.

Not for the first time she wondered just what had drawn Irene to the city she had died in, what had she been searching for when she had left home? Had she ever found it?

Reika sighed, placing her chin on her folded hands.

"Here." Kou placed a mug beside her elbow. Steam rose invitingly from it.

"Thanks." Reika picked up the mug and brought it to her lips. A puzzled look crossed her face for a moment. "This isn't coffee."

"Hot milk, a bit of cocoa, and a splash of Kahlua. You don't need all the caffeine."

"Trying to get me drunk?" She took a sip.

"No, just trying to put you to sleep."

"Can I afford to sleep?"

"You push yourself much too hard. It's not a good idea."

"But can I afford not to do so?"

"No, not really. Welcome to the hardships of command," Kou told her.

"Is this what grandfather has to deal with?"

"Probably."

"I wish I had known." Reika took another drink from her mug.

"He hides it well."

"Do I?"

"Better than some."

"I should get some sleep." She finished the mug off.

"If anything happens I'll wake you."

"Shouldn't you get some sleep as well?"

"I will. Don't worry about me."

"You are my second in command." Reika straightened. "I count on you, I have to worry about you," she said sternly. "I also care about you as much as you care about me." She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Take your own advice."

Reika turned and walked towards the elevators.

Kou watched her go then turned and walked over to the building's chief of security.

"How are we doing, Mr. Donaldson?"

"Everything is quiet sir, nothing odd. There was a bit of activity around the Tower an hour ago, helicopters coming and going, but that happens sometimes."

"We have some information that suggests whatever is going to happen will happen soon."

"We're ready."

"Good. Make sure we don't let Miss Chang down."

"We won't. Sir, Miss Chang," He was hesitant, as if looking for the right words. "she's good, if a bit rough, and she cares, perhaps too much."

"I know," Kou told him.

"I've seen that type before. It's dangerous."

"I know that as well."

"Take care of her," he finally said, sounding uncomfortable, as if he had just stepped over a line he should not have.

"Don't worry about it." He reached over and squeezed the man's shoulder. "Miss Chang will be safe. Just make sure that her people are as well."

"Yes sir," Donaldson told him.

Kou nodded then turned and walked towards the elevators.

* * *

**February 15th, Wednesday**

For most of the city, the day started as it always did. For some, getting started was a little more difficult than usual.

Priss woke up in a capsule hotel, having spent the night there after saying goodnight to Miako. She took a cab to Raven's place, got her bike, and rode back to her trailer. She spent the rest of the morning sitting outside her trailer, enjoying the fine weather while it lasted.

She had little to do but wait for Sylia to call her, and to work on song lyrics.

Nene showed up late at work, and was grabbed by Leon before she even had a change to change into her uniform. He sent her to the Kyuusei building to work on linking up the communications systems of the ADP and Kyuusei.

Linna was up early, as always, and headed to rehearsal. She was feeling the effects of the late night, and sleep had not come easily to her. She knew that Kikuchi-san was going to be finding fault with her that day.

Sylia opened the Silky Doll, deciding to take a small break from everything else. One of the benefits of the shop was that it allowed her to keep herself occupied with something a lot less demanding than running a hidden economic empire, and a mercenary group.

It was nice to take a break, but she knew that it would only be for a short time.

* * *

It was in the afternoon, after Sylia had closed the shop early, when she received a call from Fargo. There was an increase in action around the places where they knew Prometheus Bound had set up. It appeared as if something would be happening soon.

Sylia thanked him, then sent the information onto Reika Chang.

That done, Sylia began calling up the rest of the Knight Sabers.

* * *

Priss stared out the window at the street, the people and cars passing by her. The day had grown cold, but Priss' table was in a pool of sunlight and she was quite warm. She took a drink of her coffee, then turned back to several sheets of paper lying near the coffee cup. Picking up her pen, Priss pulled one of the sheets towards her.

She tapped the pen on the upper corner of the page, leaving a number of small dots. Then she moved the pen to the paper and began writing lyrics. After she had the words down she grabbed another sheet and wrote the notes out. She looked down at what she had written and began to hum it.

Not bad, she thought. She'd play it out on her guitar or a keyboard and just make sure it worked. She had roughed out work for three new songs. Not bad for a day's work. Of course she still had to translate them. That was going to take a bit of work.

Her cel phone rang. Priss reached over to her jacket and removed the phone. It was not actually a call, but a page. She watched as the information scrolled across the screen. A video store wanted her to return a late movie.

Priss closed the phone up and got to her feet. She had never rented the movie in question, it was just another code. Sylia never used the same signal twice, just in case. Priss thought it would be easier if she just called every one up like a normal person would. After putting on her jacket she slid the phone back into the pocket, then gathered up her pages.

She looked them over once more, then folded them up and slid them into her jacket's inside pocket. She stopped on her way out to pay for her coffees, then left the store, walking towards where her bike was parked.

* * *

Nene was up on the roof of the Kyuusei building, working with one of the Kyuusei com techs, making sure that the systems was ready to go.

Nene picked up the small handset and turned it on. "Naoko-san, can you hear me?"

"Yes," Naoko's voice came thought the ear piece. "There is some distortion though."

"Hold on." Nene put her hand over the microphone. "They've got some distortion."

"How are they coming through?"

"Fine."

"It might be something wrong at your end."

Nene shook her head. "I don't think so. Reload the encryption protocols."

The tech sighed, then did as Nene asked. After about thirty seconds he looked up at Nene. "Okay."

"What's it like now Naoko-san?"

"Much better."

"Good. I think the communications are set."

"Sounds like it. I'll talk to you later."

"Right. Bye Naoko-san," Nene said as she shut off the handset. "Thank you," she said to the man who had been working with her.

"No problem. Are you leaving now?"

"I guess," Nene said, gathering up her things.

He nodded, then escorted her to the elevator.

The doors had closed and Nene was just reaching out for the lobby button when her NAVI chimed for attention. She pressed the button and took the NAVI from her pocket. No call, but a message asking her to bring some milk home. Innocent enough, which is why Sylia had chosen it.

Nene tapped in Naoko's number.

"Nene-san, what is it?" Naoko asked, her face appearing in Nene's NAVI's screen.

"I'm going to stay here, just in case something comes up," Nene lied. She felt bad for it.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later then. Bye." And Naoko cut the connection, obviously busy.

The elevator doors opened on the lobby and Nene stepped out, putting the NAVI into her jacket pocket. She hoped no one needed her, or that nothing went wrong with the communications. She would certainly be in trouble if that happened.

She walked from the lobby, dropping her visitor's badge off at the information desk before leaving the building.

* * *

Linna walked out of the steam filled shower room, shifting her shoulders to work a kink out of them. She had a towel wrapped around her hair, and another wrapped around her. She was one of the last one out of the showers, so the locker room was very crowded. She pushed politely through the group, then sat down on the bench in front of her locker.

"She's certainly pushing very hard today," Mako Namura said from her seat beside Linna.

"I was sure that she would be directing most of that anger at me," Linna said, pleasantly surprised at how well she had done that day.

"You're getting into your part. You don't have to think about it."

"I suppose."

"Want to go out for some drinks with the gang."

"That sounds like fun," Linna said as she opened her locker. "Just got to check my messages," she said, reaching in for her NAVI. Opening it up Linna found she had a message reminding her to pay her water bill. "Something just came up," Linna said, closing the NAVI up.

"Too bad," Mako said. "Well, there is always tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after," she said, smiling.

"Hopefully tomorrow."

Mako nodded as she pulled her bra from her gym bag and began putting it on.

Linna dressed quickly, said her goodbyes, than ran from the locker room, out of the theatre, and to her car. She hoped she was not too late.

* * *

Leon read through the information that Reika Chang had sent to him. As he had suspected, she had known more than she had said, but in a way he was used to that. Now he knew where several of the GD-42s were, places where the terrorists were gathering. It was, of course, very useful to know.

He wanted to send teams out there right away, but he had to admit that Reika was right about waiting. The longer they waited, the more they could catch. Of course the longer they waited, the more individuals were getting their hands on weapons.

"Daily," he called out.

"What is it?"

"We need to plan some things." Leon pulled out a map board. "I know where some of our targets are."

"Do we scramble the teams?"

"Not yet. It is probable that all the groups will begin their attacks at the same time. When they are coming out, all bunched together, we should be able to get them all at once. There won't be time for any warnings to go out."

"They won't be contained. Hit them all while they are in their buildings, we can hold them."

"And it will probably lead to a massacre, it always happens like that. They come out, we get them then."

"Your call."

Leon nodded. It was his call as much as he wished otherwise. "We'll get our pilots into the air, and move our people out, small groups. We'll set up in cover around all the target points. We'll put our GD-42s into trailers and move them close. We'll move our people in on foot, as close as we can get them."

"Tear gas launchers, taser nets, and gel bullets to begin with?"

"That's what I was thinking. We begin with non-lethal force, then let them escalate to lethal force."

"I'll get my people ready to go, then come back here to work it all out."

"Good, I'll do the same."

"Back soon," Daily said, turning and walking off towards his team.

* * *

Domino stood by her window, looking out over the city. From so high up it was not as if she could actually see anything on the streets, but she knew things were happening down there. All the groups were moving into their end game positions. Soon it would be finished. And then a new game would begin. It always did.

"You wanted to see me?" D said, coming into the room.

Domino turned to face her and indicated for D to take a seat. Once D was seated Domino sat as well. "Prometheus Bound has become an annoyance."

D nodded.

"This disk has the names of a number of members of the group that I want the police to deal with." She put the MMSD on the desk top. "This one," she held up another, "has the names of those that the police won't be able to touch, or who know embarrassing facts. I want them all dead before morning."

"I'll make sure of it."

Domino placed the second SD on the desk beside the first. "Good."

D reached out and took both of the disks then put them into her jacket pocket. "Is there anything else?"

"Not that we need to be concerned with."

D got to her feet, stepped back from the desk, then bowed to Domino. She turned, and left the office.

Domino stood and turned her attention back the window and the city outside. Tonight's events were going to be very interesting. Genom was testing a new paramedic boomer class, recently sent out to all the hospitals and ambulance depots for testing. Everything had a positive aspect, if one knew where to look.

* * *

Reika pulled on her body suit, making sure the padding was set properly. She had been tossed up against the console of her GD-42 more than once and knew that having the suit on right made all the difference. Satisfied with the suit, she put her shoulder holster on.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kou asked. He was wearing a piloting suit as well.

"Can you honestly say I'll be able to run things better from the building?" Reika pulled out her revolver, checked it over, and then put it back in the holster.

"No, but it would not be as stressful as being out on the front lines."

"We are one of the more experienced teams in the city. We would be of the greatest use in the cockpit of 'Buddy'."

"And in the greatest danger. By the way, why Buddy?"

"Buddy Holly."

"I see. Why not Elvis?"

"Bad karma," Reika told him.

"Have you given much thought to how you want to spin this?"

"Our property was stolen, we informed the local authorities of the problem once we were aware of it, then we let them handle it."

"And coincidentally the local authorities had access to some of our weapon systems?"

"That is what we will say. Everyone will believe that we were cleaning up after our own mess. That's useful."

Kou nodded. "And if anyone finds out about the blood agent?"

"We deny all knowledge," Reika said, sounding less than happy about it.

"Are you going to share the location, if you discover it, with Genom?"

Reika signed. "I'd rather not, but I will. It was what we agreed to."

"You're hopping that the Knight Sabers will get it first though."

"That was why I hired them."

* * *

Laura was whistling softly as she worked at breaking the code. She was sure she was getting close to it. She was also getting tired. A little rest would be of use. She put the computer into rest mode, holding everything she had done, her foot in the door as it were. Nothing was happening, but at least she was not sliding back.

"Hey," she looked over her shoulder. "Want to take a try at this?"

The man she addressed, the money man, as Yoshito called him, looked up from where he sat on the floor. He was middle aged, thinning blonde hair, brown eyes, average appearance, though he had the look of someone who had just recovered from debilitating illness. "What?"

"Want to take over? I need a break."

He blinked, a surprised look crossing his face. He raised his hand and looked at the watch he wore. "I have to go," he said without preamble.

"What? Now?"

"I need to take care of some things. Keep working."

Laura shook her head. "Great."

He did not seem to notice that she was upset. Or he did not care. He got to his feet, brushed off his clothes, then walked away.

Laura watched him go, then got to her feet and walked over to the mattress lying on the floor. If he did not want to help, she was not going to kill herself getting those codes. It was not as if she really wanted to succeed.

* * *

"It is not necessary," Sylia told Mackie as they looked over the suits, one last time.

"I think it is," he told her. "You'll need all the help you can get. Weren't you hired to keep damage down to a minimum? The more resources..."

"Don't tell me how to do my job Mackie-kun," she said, putting a slight edge into her tone.

Mackie looked as if he was planning to argue more, but decided not to, for now.

Sylia went back to checking Linna's suit, but she was thinking about Mackie. She had known that he would want to get involved in their jobs beyond fire and technical support. Raven-hakase had reminded her of it some time ago. He was her younger brother, and she wanted to protect him. It was her responsibility as his older sister.

There was only so much she could do though, and a time came when protecting became smothering.

"What is it you want to do?" Sylia asked, not looking up from her work.

"I thought I could help support Linna-san," he told her.

Sylia smiled. "Good choice."

"I know you'd want someone who could be counted on to keep me safe, and Priss-san would not want me around."

"I suppose that Linna-san could use the heavy weapon support."

"I don't want to use the heavy hardsuit," Mackie told her.

"Pardon?"

"It won't be effective. A long range weapon is not what we need here."

"You want to take number 5?" Sylia said, managing to keep from sighing.

"That way I can take the Heavy Motoslave."

"Which you've wanted to test out."

"It has already been tested. Maybe not in combat, but it's all based on the previous designs, and we know they are effective in combat."

"You're asking me to send two, untested units out."

"Linna-san will be using the Tornado, the heavy hardsuit could not keep up with her."

Sylia got to her feet and left the suit room. Mackie remained where he was for a moment, then jumped to his feet and went after her.

She led him into the main garage where the Typhoon II, the Tempest, the Tornado, and Sylia's old Hurricane motoslave were all parked and ready to go. She walked past them to the vault door. Mackie watched as she entered the codes, still not sure what she was going to do.

The locking bolts slid back and the door opened. The interior of the vault was nearly empty, usually it held the motoslaves and weapons. At one point it had also held the other Hurricane models, as well as the earlier versions of the hardsuits. Sylia had moved all of it into Raven's garage, locked away in the vaults there.

She walked directly towards the hardsuit lockers, all of them empty since she had moved things to Raven's, all but one.

Sylia tapped in the entry code and the locker opened with a slight hiss as the pressure inside equalised with that outside. Inside was a hardsuit, mostly dark blue, with dark red highlights. At first glance it looked much like all the other hardsuits, but on closer inspection there were fewer curves, the feminine appearance of the other suits was lacking.

She had first built the heavy hardsuit when it became apparent that Mackie would want to take a more active role in the Knight Sabers' activities. A suit with heavier armour, a larger weapon system, perfect for long range support. Perfect to keep Mackie out of the thick of a fight.

A good design, but Mackie had not been willing to sit back in the support role. He had convinced Raven-Hakase to help him with a design he preferred. When Sylia had found out her first reaction had been to just stop it. She had reconsidered and taken the project over. If Mackie was going to have a hardsuit, she was going to be certain it was well built.

It was similar in overall design to Sylia's, though it lacked any in close weapons. A pair of rail guns, like the one Priss used, were its primary weapon systems. The weapons were tied into a powerful targeting systemit was the most precise weapon system Sylia had ever designed.

It was her way of keeping him safe, as safe as possible. She had set the suit up to put him in a sniper role. Furthermore, she had added some basic ECM and ECCM gear into his suit. Not anywhere near as good as Nene's, but useful.

"Is the heavy motoslave ready to go?" she asked him.

"It just needs its weapon systems."

"Get it prepped and move it out with the others. I'll make sure the hardsuit is ready, though I want you to check it out yourself."

"Right," Mackie said, unable to hide the enthusiasm in his voice. Sylia hoped she would not regret it, but she could not hold him back forever.

* * *

Robert slapped the panel on the GD-42 closed. The cockpit controls began to light up and the generator began to hum.

"Ready to go," he told Junpei.

"Thanks," Junpei said, bowing slightly.

"You don't have to thank me," he told the man.

Junpei nodded, then took off his glasses and began to polish the lenses with his handkerchief.

"What about the guns," a man yelled. Robert had no idea who he was, but he seemed to be the leader of the cell.

"Here," Robert pulled the keys from his jacket pocket and tossed them across the room. "The key pad code is 224532. You better write that down."

"I'm sure I'll remember."

"You better. If you don't the explosives will level this place."

The man frowned, then grabbed a food wrapper from a table and demanded a pen. "All right, once more?"

Robert smiled. "224532."

"224532?"

"That's it."

"Good."

Robert watched as the man headed back into the house, to unlock the weapons room. He watched as Suguru and Junpei got ready to go. He shook his head, then headed out the garage's back door.

He moved quickly, quietly, across the rubble behind the house, keeping to shadows, and using dead ground to the best advantage. He was not sure if he was worried about being spotted by someone outside the house, or if he was worried about being shot in the back by someone inside it.

Moving as he was, he almost stumbled upon a small group of ADP officers, hiding nearby. He moved back quietly, and then started around them. It looked as if they had been marked, at least in one location.

He thought about sending a message back to the Prometheus Bound members, letting them know that they were going to be walking right into an ambush. No, that was not his job. Actually, they might have a better chance of survival if they were taken by surprise.

He continued on, not looking back. Not long after he had hopped over a fence and moved through the busy parking lot of a grocery store. If he could get a taxi he might be out of the country in two hours.

* * *

_"One should not be overly fond of famous swords and knives. Even if one has a sword valued at 100,000 coins, he will not overcome 100 men carrying spears valued at 100 coins"  
_- **Asakura Toshikage**


	15. Flash Powder 9

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 9 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

The money man was surrounded by a cloud of steam as he came from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked to the windows and pulled back the curtains, looking out over MegaTokyo. The St. Regis hotel gave him a good view of the city, he could see the Tower. He hated it.

At least he thought he did. He could never be sure. Everything seemed a jumble. His skin hung loose on him, as if he had lost a lot of weight over a short time, adding to the appearance he might have just recovered from some sort of illness. Turning he walked over to his bedside table and picked up a half empty flask of gin and took a long drink.

It would be over soon, he thought, finally over. He hoped. The terrorists, they would start it, after that...

He was not sure about the 'after that', he only knew that it would be over.

Letting the towel drop he took a seat on the bed and began to pull on the dark clothes he had laid out before his shower. He picked up the pistol he had set out with them and looked at it. What was he doing with a gun? He did not deal with guns. Of course most of the stuff in the backpack he had were not things he dealt with. At some point his life had changed greatly.

He dressed quickly, putting on the shoulder holster, then putting the pistol into it. The straps around his shoulders felt binding, and he shifted his shoulders about in an attempt to shift it into a more comfortable position. It did not seem to work. It just felt heavy. The jacket he pulled on covered the weapon well enough, though the jacket felt too warm. It had a kevlar weave between the outer shell and the lining.

As he grabbed up his back pack he looked out at the windows, out at the Tower. He had been looking at that view for nearly two weeks. It would be nice to never see it again.

He left his room, the door locking behind him. Had he brought his key? Well, it hardly mattered. He walked down the hallway, away from the elevators. His steps dragged along the carpet, as if he was moving forward against his will, yet there was excitement in his eyes.

He finally stopped outside of a door, some distance away from his room. He raised his hand, about to knock, then stopped. His hand dropped. He turned around and walked away from the door, his stride lengthening, getting faster the farther he got from the door. He was almost running when he reached the elevator doors.

He stabbed the call button hard, so hard it cracked the tip of his nail. He stared at the broken nail, then reached down and tore the broken part free, leaving a ragged end. The elevator doors opened, revealing several people, tourists more than likely. He stepped into the car, moving between two men, towards the back of the car. "Lobby," he said not being able to get close to the control board.

"Already going there," one of the occupants said, sounding very cheerful. He wondered how long they would be cheerful, once everything started.

A short time later the doors opened on the lobby. He left with the others, but where they went straight towards the exit, he walked to the front desk. There were five people working there, he went up to the guest services section. One of the women working the desk moved quickly to meet him. "How may I help you?" she asked, smiling.

He reached into his pocket, producing a thick envelope. On it was scrawled the name 'Mira'. "Can you make sure that this gets to room 1532," he said, placing the envelope on the desk top.

"Of course sir." She smiled, pulling the envelope towards her. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that is all." He turned and left. Behind him he heard the young woman thank him. So polite. It got on his nerves sometimes.

He left the hotel, making straight towards the line of taxis waiting for him. The shadows around him were growing longer as the sun neared the horizon. It would be dark soon.

He slid into the back of a taxi, told the driver where he wanted to go, then leaned back in the seat. It would all be over soon, one way or another. It would all be over.

* * *

Priss had been the first to arrive at Sylia's place. She had gone straight to her suit, checked it out, then went to look the Typhoon II over. Nene and Linna had showed up at nearly the same time. Sylia had given them a chance to look over their suits, then had called them together.

"This is a fairly straightforward mission. We are to keep people from being killed and property from being destroyed. Between Chang-san's people, the ADP and Genom, things should be dealt with. We are there to provide assistance when needed. I am more concerned with the GD-42s than I am with the individual members of the Prometheus Bound, but if you have to engage the terrorists, do so.

"Priss-san, you will take the Typhoon II and do what you are best at. Don't take any excessive chances."

"I'll think about it," Priss said, smiling.

"It is the best that we can hope for. Linna-san, you will be doing the same thing with the Tornado, but Mackie and the Heavy Motoslave will be along for support."

"Mackie-san?" Linna said, sounding a little surprised.

"Better you than me," Priss said.

"Mackie will be providing long range support and cover fire for you," she told Linna, then looked over at Mackie, making sure he understood that.

Mackie and Linna nodded, both of them getting the message.

"Nene and I will track down the blood agent. We will be taking motoslaves, but I don't expect to have to use them. Once the canister of AF-5 is secured, we will simply wait for Chang-san to send her people to recover it. At that point, if the situation in the city has not improved, we will go out to aid the ADP and the others."

Nene nodded.

"Any questions?"

"Can I put some bigger guns on the Typhoon II?" Priss asked.

"Wow, Priss wants bigger guns," Nene said.

Priss reached over and punched her in the shoulder.

"If you feel the need," Sylia told her. "Please try not to destroy more things than the enemy would."

Priss smiled. "I'll try."

* * *

The garage door opened, the GD-42, legs folded in half, slowly walked forth. The front door opened and people began to flow out of the house. Someone kicked out the boards covering the windows, and more people came out that way. They were all carrying weapons, mostly assault rifles. Many were in some sort of camouflage clothing, mainly jungle print.

From where he was hiding, Daily watched it all, resisting the urge to shake his head. The people below him were not in any way professionals. That made them more dangerous in a way. As he watched a man moved to the front of the growing group and started yelling at them, giving them some sort of motivational speech. Daily watched until it appeared as if everyone was out of the house.

He swung the boom microphone of his head set down to near his mouth. "This is Beta Prime to net A and B, status, over."

"Net A, ready to go, over."

"Net B, ready to go, over."

"This is Beta Prime to all units, you know what to do. Net A and B, do it, out."

Set up ninety degrees to each other were a pair of taser net launchers. As soon as Daily had given the orders the ADP troopers manning the launchers triggered them. From each launcher hundreds of small darts launched, each trailing a thin wire of conductive material.

The members of Prometheus Bound looked about, still in a tight knot. Some had not even heard the quiet launch. Then the wires began to cross over them, forming a net. A moment later the two launchers began pulsing with power from the generators.

Not an effective tool against boomers, but the perfect weapon for crowd control.

Many of the Terrorists began to go down, shocked into helplessness. Some did not, protected by clothing, or outside of the area of effect. Daily watched for a moment. "This is Beta Prime to all units, open up on them, out."

All around the area ADP troopers rose up from cover, bringing their M42s up to their shoulders. They opened up, the gel bullets splashing across the terrorists. The gel rounds were a little like paint balls, but much denser. They spread out on impact, transferring their force over a wider area.

They were not completely harmless as they could break bones, and easily destroy eyes. Still, they were much less deadly than the steel jacketed rounds the ADP normally used.

Some distance away from the main battle, a team had set up a 12mm anti-boomer gun. They opened up on the GD-42, the huge rounds hitting the armoured vehicle at high velocity. Unfortunately, as Daily had worried, they had little effect.

The GD-42 began moving, running across the bodies of the down Prometheus Bound members, no doubt killing many. That did not seem to slow it down. It leapt, the thrusters lighting up, flinging it into the air. It landed far off, almost falling, then was off and running.

Daily switched frequencies. "This is Beta Prime to air control, where is my air support? Over."

"This is air control Beta Prime. We had to redirect your air support, it was needed elsewhere, over."

"Well get a spotting helicopter into the area, one of the primary targets is making a run, out." Daily switched frequencies once more. "Beta Prime to Beta Oni, where are you? Over."

"Sorry Beta Prime, we had a problem. We're moving now, over."

"Go after the primary target, out."

"Got you," the pilot of the GD-42 called out. A moment later the GD-42, with its ADP markings, ran through the area, moving to avoid the bodies on the ground, chasing after the GD-42 that had recently fled.

Daily watched it go, then shook his head. "Beta Prime to all of team B, move in, let's get this cleaned up. All units, cover team B."

* * *

Kumeko Urabe steered her cruiser through the dark streets of one of the areas of the city that had yet to be reclaimed by Genom's MegaTokyo project. The police patrolled areas like it constantly.

Kumeko had been doing the job for nearly three months, and other than a few boomer incidents nothing exciting had happened. When something big came crashing through the wall in front of her she realised that something exciting was happening.

She jammed the brakes on, shifted into reverse and stomped the gas pedal in a few seconds. She yanked the steering wheel, reversing into an alley she had just passed. There was a loud booming sound and part of the wall where her car had just been exploded.

The rear of the patrol car scraped up against the alley walls and the tires bounced over the objects that littered the ground.

Coming out of the alley at speed she jerked the wheel, hit the brakes and shifted back into drive. Pushing the gas pedal to the floor Kumeko left the area behind. She grabbed the microphone for the radio.

"This is unit Juliet 6 to base, something big just crashed through one of the buildings in area UB5. It fired on me. I think it was a boomer or something."

"Did it look anything like a big crab, four legs though?" a voice asked over the radio, sounding a lot calmer than Kumeko thought it should.

"What?"

"Just relax officer Urabe, you'll be receiving orders soon. Base out."

Kumeko began to slow her car, looking up a moment later when a set of lights passed over head. An ADP helicopter, she thought, recognising the aircraft. They got here fast.

* * *

As soon as things started Sylia had ordered the Knight Sabers out. They had broken up into their sub groups and had sped out into the city. Police were out in force, working on crowd control and evacuating areas in the city where they thought that fighting might break out.

The Knight Sabers were not slowed by this, in fact, with the streets being cleared, as much as possible, they were able to move even faster.

Linna was listening to one of the Kyuusei controllers, getting a feeling for where help was needed. On the interior of her helmet a map of the city was projected, showing her where she was in relation to problems. She called to Mackie, then sped off towards one of the elevated highways.

It was the first time she had taken the Tornado, her new motoslave, into combat. She was very pleased with its performance.

A GD-42, followed at some distance by a group of terrorists, had been spotted, moving along the elevated highway. Linna was the closest to it.

She spotted it ahead of her, moving quickly. "Stay back and give me covering fire," Linna told Mackie. She knew what Sylia wanted her to do. She was not going to let Mackie get hurt. It rankled a little, playing baby-sitter to Sylia's little brother, but Linna did not mind too much. She was fairly certain that Mackie would be able to take care of himself, for the most part.

Linna twisted the accelerator, rocketing towards the approaching mech. As she got closer she activated the motoslave's transformation sequence, then released the handlebars and sat up straight, standing up on the riding pegs.

At the speed she was moving the wind whipped her off the bike, and into the air. As soon as she was free of the bike she activated her suit's flight units. Ahead of her the motorcycle shifted into her autonomous, mecha partner.

Linna shot forward and grasped a hold of the motoslave, letting it pull her along towards the GD-42. They flew closer and closer to the other unit, waiting for it to notice them. Finally the huge cannon swung around to target them. "Now!" Linna yelled.

She released her hold on the motoslave and cut right. The motoslave cut left, moving off at speed. The gunner in the GD-42, much as Linna expected, wavered between the two targets, unable to decide which to fire at.

The Tornado cut in right, heading straight towards the GD-42. It began firing its main gun, a 35mm cannon. The heavy rounds impacted on the armour of the other mech, rocking it slightly.

The gunner, having decided what the major target was, shifted over towards the Tornado. That gave Linna a clear run at the GD-42, and she took advantage of it. While the GD-42 was firing at the Tornado, Linna moved underneath the mecha and spun about, her ribbons deploying, slashing into the legs of the unit.

She had hoped that she might do more damage, but the armour was a little too strong. She was considering what to do next when the antipersonnel whips lashed out under the GD-42. She twisted around them, not letting them get a hold of her, then, before getting out of range, she slammed her knuckle bomber into the joint of the right, rear leg.

The explosion tore into the armour, and some of it reached the interior, but the damage did not seem crippling to Linna. It was not blown clear off, that was certain.

She moved away from the GD-42 at speed, trying to decided what to do next. The Tornado had dropped below the highway for cover, but it informed her that it was coming up on the other side to support her.

Some distance away Mackie and the Heavy Motoslave had set up. The GD-42 had presented its profile to him, which gave him a good shot at the connection point between the main gun and the body of the mech. He raised his suit's right power arm, locked the hardsuit up, and let the targeting computer do its job. When the suit locked on target he began to fire. The interior indicators dimmed slightly as the rail gun drew the power it needed.

At the same time he was firing, the Heavy Motoslave opened up with its assault cannon.

The GD-42 was rocked back by the combined fire, and the right, rear leg slid slightly, putting the entire unit off balance.

Mackie stopped firing when he saw Linna moving back in.

Linna came in at the rear, left leg. She spun about in tight spirals, letting the ribbons slash into the legs several times before she closed. The armour was deeply scored, small chunks actually cut away, by the time Linna slammed her knuckle bomber into the damaged area.

The shaped charge sent a blast of superheated gasses into the leg, cutting through the interior components. The concussive force that followed shattered everything in its way. Linna jumped back as the GD-42 began to topple on that side.

The computer shifted weight to the three remaining legs, regaining its balance. The main gun was beginning to swing about towards Linna when the Tornado shot up from under the highway. It landed on top of the GD-42, rocking it off balance.

The anti-personnel whips lashed out at the Tornado, wrapping around it in an attempt to pull it off. The Tornado used its thrusters to maintain its position, then swung its 35mm down between its feet, at the cockpit.

The heavy rounds tore into the reinforced armour around the cockpit. For a moment the armour held, though it was seriously deformed by impacts. Then the armour cracked, and the rounds tore into the interior.

The GD-42 became still for a moment, then shuddered and began falling. The Tornado leapt free, landing some distance away, ejecting the empty magazine from its weapon, loading a new one in, all in one smooth sequence.

There was a loud crash as the GD-42 collapsed to the road surface; its legs sprawled out about it.

Linna waited for a moment, watching to make sure that the mech was not about to get up, then turned her back on it. "Five, this is three," she sent to Mackie. "Let's go."

"Where now?" Mackie asked.

"There are a group of well armed terrorists heading this way. We'll hold them until the ADP can get here. Three out." Linna told him as she walked towards the Tornado. The motoslave was shifting back into its motorcycle form.

* * *

Priss squeezed the trigger throttle, the roaring engine sending vibrations through her body. She smiled beneath her helmet. She was in her element.

Ahead of her was one of the GD-42s. It had recently escaped an ADP road block and was now pounding along, unimpeded. Well, unimpeded until now. Priss shifted to a higher gear and dropped the clutch. The bike rose up on the rear wheel for a few seconds before dropping back to both wheels.

"There is a certain danger to this course of action," her motoslave told her.

"Shut up, when I want you to have an opinion on something, I'll tell you," Priss snapped. While she appreciated the improved AI system that Sylia had put into the Typhoon II, there were times when it got on her nerves.

"Yes Mistress," it said.

Priss was about to yell at it, telling it to stop calling her Mistress, but she did not have time. She was almost on top of the GD-42. "You know what to do," she called out as she and the bike shot between the legs of the mech.

As soon as they cleared it, moving in front of it, Priss kicked herself off the bike, flipping backwards, activating the jets in her suit's heels to get the motion and speed she wanted, needed. Linna could make something like that look so easy. Priss was not Linna. Fortunately the hardsuit's computer was able to compensate.

Priss sailed up and over the GD-42 while the Typhoon II, beginning its transformation sequence, continued on ahead, hopefully capturing the attention of the crew in the mech. She landed on top of the mech, just behind the cockpit. For a moment she thought she was going to slip off, but by shifting her balance Priss was able to maintain her perch.

She did not have long, the anti-personnel whips would already be moving to deal with her. She ducked to the right, dropping to her knees. She caught the motion of the whips out of the corner of her eyes as they twisted through the space she had so recently occupied.

Raising her powerarm, she drove it down, arming a charge for the knuckle bomber. She slammed the fist into the cover over the rocket propelled grenades. She hoped that they were armed. Even as the blast from the knuckle bomber tore into the compartment, Priss was flipping herself off of the GD-42.

The blast set off the three grenades, as Priss had hoped, the force of the explosions tearing a large section out of the mech's right side. As she landed, Priss lifted her powerarm, pulling the first stage of the railgun's trigger.

Some distance off the Typhoon II had finished transforming. It spun about, bringing the pair of 40mm machine cannons up to target the GD-42. The GD-42 was firing at it, the huge cannon mounted underneath it was turning the road near by into rubble. The Typhoon II remained where it was and opened up on the enemy mech.

The big rounds hit the GD-42, shaking it, rocking it back slightly. Its cannon, jerked upwards by the motion of the mech, fired into the wall of a building, blowing out a large number of windows. The Typhoon II was about to open up with another blast when it saw Priss moving into its field of fire.

At times the Typhoon II was not at all pleased with the actions of its Mistress. It was programmed to work with Priss in combat, and to do its utmost to protect her. Protecting Priss was made difficult by the fact she tended to take a lot of chances. Still, there was nothing it could do but its best.

Priss leapt up, grasping the cowling of the weapon, the fingers of her powerarm digging into the metal. The knuckle guard swung forward, over her use hand. She cocked her arm back, then slammed it forward.

When the knuckle guard hit, it not only had all the hardsuit's strength behind it, but it had also matched a sympathetic frequency within the metal. The metal shattered under that assault, the knuckle guard destroying one of the three barrels within the cowling.

She felt something brush against her suit's leg, then a sudden pull as one of the anti-personnel whips wrapped around her. She locked the fingers of her powerarm, holding onto the weapon. The GD-42 was beginning to jerk around, trying to shake her free. The laser cannons on the forward part of the mech were swivelling about, trying to target Priss.

Damn, Priss thought angrily, trying to pull her leg free. The whip maintained its tight hold on her suit's leg. Cursing softly, Priss brought up the suit monitors, finding out exactly where the whip was holding her. She smiled when she saw where it was, and then triggered one of the leg bombers.

The explosive cut the whip cleanly, allowing Priss to get free. She swung down, quickly moving out of the lasers' arcs of fire.

The Typhoon II opened up on the GD-42, cutting its front legs off at their midway point. The entire unit fell forward, crashing onto the stumps of its forward legs. The rear legs began to fold in half, to make it level again.

Priss moved back, firing rapidly on the mech, picking out the weak points that had been programmed into her hardsuit's computer. Her motoslave continued to fire short, controlled bursts into he GD-42, doing more and more damage.

Finally the entire unit collapsed, crushing the main cannon underneath it. Priss watched for a moment, keeping her power arm extended. After several seconds she tensed up, the unit began to move.

It turned out there was no need for alarm, the cockpit hatch was blown free and the pilot began to pull himself free from the cockpit. He stopped suddenly when Priss pressed her railgun into the side of his head. He turned, slowly, to look at her.

"You're one of the Knight Sabers," he said, swallowing.

Priss said nothing to him. "How long until the police arrive?" she sent to the Typhoon II.

"One minute."

"We'll wait."

Presented with silence, unable to hear the conversation between Priss and her motoslave, the terrorist tried again. "You fight against boomers. You know what it is like. We should be working together."

Priss thought about asking him what shooting up buildings had to do with stopping boomers. Instead she said nothing.

He tried again, trying to convince her to let him go, or to help him. Priss waited until the first cruiser pulled to a stop near by. She leapt away, moving towards the Typhoon II which was shifting to bike form.

The police officers did not give her any trouble. They knew which side the Knight Sabers were on that night.

* * *

Leon had his back pressed up against the wall of a building. He could feel the ground vibrate slightly as the mech approached. He wondered how good the sensors were on the A3s. He wondered if Cat had been completely truthful in her assessment of the weapon that he held cradled in his arms.

He shifted the boom mike of his head set closer to his mouth. "The is Alpha Prime to control, over."

"This is Control Alpha Prime, over."

"I'm in section EF7, more or less. Is there any support close by? Over."

"Negative Alpha Prime. Group Alpha is currently pinned down and will be unable to help you. I can have air support in your area within five minutes, over."

"Get something into the area. I'll see what I can do. Alpha Prime out."

Leon took a few quick breaths, looking the weapon over once more. It should do what he needed, if things went well. The sound of the GD-42's clawed feet on the pavement had become louder. Leon was pretty sure if he just stayed where he was it would pass him by, but that would not stop it. The area he was in had already been evacuated. Not far away was an area that had yet to be cleared out.

No time for second thoughts now, he thought.

Jumping out Leon put a long burst into the front leg of the GD-42. He watched as the armour and the leg disintegrated from the barrage of flechettes. Thank you Cat, he thought, holding the weapon steady.

The sudden removal of one of the legs caused the mech to lose its balance for a moment. It dipped in the direction of where the leg had been, presenting its dorsal surface to Leon. He aimed at the cockpit, hesitated for a moment, then fired.

The canopy over the cockpit was holed several times but the mech began to straighten itself. Leon kept up the fire, walking the fire back and forth across the canopy area, hoping the find some weak point. The GD-42 suddenly shuddered, and then it went over on its other side, crashing to the ground.

Leon kept the weapon pointed at it as he circled the fallen machine. He reached forward, and after some searching and prying managed to find the emergency canopy release. He pulled it, walking back quickly, the long cord playing out. When it got to the end he gave it one more yank. The explosive bolts fired, blowing the canopy free, sending it skittering across the road.

Inside the gunner was trying to free himself from the seat restraints. He was wounded, his left shoulder a bloody mess. The pilot was not moving at all, Leon was pretty sure he was dead.

"Don't move," Leon ordered.

The gunner stopped trying to free himself and looked across at Leon, at the weapon he held. He did not say anything.

Leon activated his radio again. "This is Alpha Prime to control," he said into his radio. "Cancel air support and send a cruiser and an ambulance, over."

"This is control Alpha Prime, message understood, units are on their way, over."

"Good. Alpha Prime out."

Leon slung the railgun and pulled his Earth Shaker out instead. He climbed onto the fallen GD-42. He had best do what he could to save the gunner and the pilot, if the pilot could be saved.

* * *

Sylia had driven through the city, Nene following, avoiding the busy streets whenever possible. The police were beginning to block of roads, to evacuate people from areas where they thought fighting might take place.

It was hard not to be seen, and Sylia might have taken the Silky Doll van, had she not been worried about ending up stuck in traffic or behind a police barricade. Neither of those things were a barrier to the motoslaves.

Finally Sylia pulled her bike off to the side of a road way near Shinjuku. She looked back at Nene. "Find them," she said.

"Hai." It had not taken Nene long to make her suit able to emulate the NAVI that Sylia had told her they had to work with. Somewhere, a small unit, hidden within a computer, acknowledged the signal, then sent out a compressed pulse of information along the signal relays, back to Nene.

As soon as Nene got the information she set her suit's computer to decompressing it while she called up a map of the city. As soon as the information was ready Nene lay the inertial locator's trace pattern, as well as the time stamps over the map.

The path traced out from Giovanni's apartment, to the Shinjuku station, as Fargo had told Sylia. The map projected on Nene's face plate shifted to floor plans of the station, following the path. Finally the inertial locator stopped in one area, only moving a couple of meters at a time.

"I found it," Nene said.

"Where?"

"One of the sealed off sections. It is not rated as being structurally sound."

"A prefect place to hide then," Sylia told her. "Send a message off to Chang-san's people." Sylia put her bike in gear and left the road side.

Nene sent the message, as Sylia had told her, then followed after her.

* * *

Shinjuku was busy. Perhaps not Friday or Saturday night busy, but busy nonetheless. The police had moved into the area, asking people to get off the streets, to go home if possible. It was all very confusing.

One of the major places of confusion was Shinjuku Station. Commuters getting off the trains, ready for a night out, found themselves facing police with bull horns who were asking them to return to their homes. A state of emergency had been declared and while they were not in any danger, it would be best if they just remained indoors.

There was much confusion, some of the crowd obeying the police, others who believed it was some sort of drill were arguing. And news of what was happening in other parts of the city was beginning to spread, introducing a note of panic into the mix.

Sylia had guessed what the situation would be like, and that a pair of fast moving motorcycles, with armoured riders, might cause some problems. Those who recognised the Knight Sabers thought that perhaps they were about to be in the centre of a boomer attack. Those who did not recognise them, mostly tourists, thought the must be some sort of police force, or perhaps the reason why the police were trying to close down Shinjuku.

Nene followed Sylia, noting the reactions of the crowd around them. Once she had to swerve when a young child ran towards the bikes. What was it with children and lack of fear? she wondered. Well, the hardsuits and the motoslaves probably did look rather interesting.

Sylia drove right towards the station. She did not know if her target knew that the Knight Sabersor anyonewere on the way. If they did, Sylia did not want to give them any time to do anything.

She hit the stairs leading up into the department stores over and around the station. The fastest way she had. The bike bounced up the stairs, handling easily, though she had to brake once she was up the stairs to avoid hitting a group of shoppers.

Nene was not sure about trying to ride up stairs, but she followed Sylia. The Tempesther new motoslavewas able to aid her in the task, so she easily made it up the stairs. It was actually kind of fun, in a sort of anti-social way. She thought, somewhat uncharitably, that she had a better understanding of Priss.

Sylia led the way, the bikes whipping by the store fronts, by people, and then down stairs, cutting sharply around to drive down another set of stairs. After that it was a straight out run for a time along one of the main corridors.

There were a lot of people there, milling around, waiting to get aboard trains, or arguing with the police, or just waiting to see what happened. At the time Sylia had felt a little, well, strange, when she had put horns in the motoslaves. Obviously it had not been the worst idea she had ever had.

They moved out of the way of the two bikes that raced down the corridor. Sometimes the riders had to break, the rear tires sliding around, pointing the bikes in a new direction, a bit of throttle moving them off at speed again. It was all rather exciting.

Sylia left the main thoroughfare and took a sharp turn, her bike cutting through a chain that blocked off a set of stairs. The subways under Shinjuku Station had been closed after the quake in '25 due to structural damage. The city planners had brought in supports, filled tunnels with cement to repair the damage done to foundations, and then had just left it.

For the most part it remained empty, but for the occasional transient, or some students looking for a private place to get drunk and kiss. The police went through the open areas once a day, and chased out anyone they found.

It would, if you could get into a closed off area, be a perfect place to hide.

Finally Sylia left the stairway, not a moment too soon she thought, her teeth felt as if they were still vibrating and the padding in the suit could only do so much.

Ahead of them were the ticket gates that led into the subway, blocked off by a roll down gate. Sylia initiated the transformation of her motoslave, letting the mech wrap her up in its protective cocoon of metal and plastic.

She hit the gate, tearing through it easily, flying over the ticket gates and out onto the subway platform. There she dropped down, flying into one of the tunnels.

Nene followed, still riding her bike, She crashed through the blocking bar of the ticket gate, and followed after Sylia. She, well, the Tempest's computer mostly, skidded the bike to a stop, just at the edge of the platform. She then sped along the edge, and a moment later hopped the bike down onto the tracks.

Sylia flew down the tunnel for a short distance before landing her motoslave. The chest section opened and she stepped down, out of the motoslave. The unit was too large to easily go any father. Nene pulled up a moment later, bringing her bike to a stop beside Sylia.

Set into the wall of the tunnel was a steel door. Sylia walked towards it, then looked at Nene. "Any alarms?"

Nene turned her sensors on the door. "Yes, but, they are not active."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Sylia turned back to the door and gave it a pull. It held, until she used a little more force, at which point the bolt snapped.

"You stay here," she told her motoslave. She looked at Nene. "Let's go."

"Wait," Nene said. "Something is coming." She was looking down the tunnel.

Sylia looked the same way, though could not detect anything at first. A moment later her sensors marked an object moving towards them.

"Hold position," Sylia told both Nene and the Hurricane. "No firing unless I confirm it." That was more for the motoslave.

They waited until the boomer came out of the darkness. It was a C-Class, draped with several belts of pouches. It stopped and stared at them, doing nothing.

Sylia waited for a moment, watching to see if the boomer would do anything. "What are you doing here?" Sylia asked, her voice masked by the distortion device in the helmet.

"Current mission involves monitoring for traces of blood agent AF-5. If discovered I am to detonate the explosives I am carrying," it said in a flat voice.

"What?" Nene asked.

Sylia held up her hand to silence Nene. "Are there any others?"

"Affirmative. Exact number and placement cannot be given."

"Let's go," Sylia told Nene, then entered the corridor behind the door.

"Shouldn't we do something about the boomer?"

"No. It is necessary."

"But if it detonates explosives..."

"Thousands will be killed, or wounded. It is better than if the AF-5 is released in Shinjuku. In that case hundreds of thousands may die."

Nene wanted to say something else, but suddenly realised that Sylia was right. It was just another reason for them to find the container system and make sure that the blood agent was not used.

* * *

Laura yawned, opening her mouth wide as she filled her lungs. She was exhausted. With the money man being of little help, when one got right down to it, she had been doing most of the work. It had been more than two days since she had managed a straight eight hours of sleep.

While she was used to working late hours, she usually got at least a little rest, and was not working on such a complicated system. Part of her wanted to scrap it all and just leave. The attack would have started by now.

It would have been much better if they had used the threat of the chemical weapon in conjunction with the attack. That would have had a much more telling psychological impact.

She looked up, thinking she might have heard something, then she shook her head. She was just tired. And maybe if she did hear something it was just the money man coming back, or perhaps Yoshito coming to get her. That would be nice.

She turned her attention back to the computer. Such a nice design. She'd try to keep it if she could. She thought she had about seventy five percent of the code she needed. In a few hours she'd have it all. Well, she hoped she would have it all.

The sound of the heavy door opening made Laura raise her head. "It is about time you got back," she said, then saw that it was neither Yoshito nor the money man coming into the room. It took her a few seconds to recognise the newcomer as one of the Knight SabersYoshito had had the team study up on the various groups in the citybut even before she knew what she was looking for she had grasped a device from beside her.

"Don't move, don't do anything," she called out as she surged to her feet. "This is a deadman's switch I have here." She held out the trigger device. "I go down, this thing opens up and people die." It was a bluff, but it was all she had. And, all things considered, it was a damn good bluff.

* * *

Sylia had been a little surprised to find a woman just sitting there, working at one end of the container that held the blood agent. She had actually looked around, thinking there had to more people about. That had given the woman time to act. It was a mistake on Sylia's part.

The woman was standing there, holding the deadman switch in front of her, almost as if it was a holy symbol of some sort.

"Go to full containment mode," Sylia sent to Nene as she activated her suits own NBCDNuclear Biological Chemical Defencegear. The filtered vents on the suit sealed and it went over to its internal air supply.

"You've lost," Sylia called out. "The area is surrounded by boomers packed with explosive. All you will do by releasing the gas is kill us all."

"Then you had best make sure I get out of here safely, unless you don't care for your own life."

"Perhaps we can work something out," Sylia called out. To Nene she sent, "Can you do anything?"

Nene, who had sealed her suit, moved into the room and looked about. After a moment her eyes locked on the tank. "I have an idea," she sent to Sylia.

"What are you doing?" Laura demanded, trying to appear as if she was in complete control of the situation.

"What do you want?" Sylia asked.

The woman turned her full attention to Sylia. Nene took that as her cue. She lifted her powerarm and used her lasers to cut a hole directly into the outer tank.

A look of surprise spread across Laura's face. Sylia suspected that a similar expression was on her own face.

The laser burnt through the outer container, and, as Nene had hoped, resulted in the detonation of the shaped charges.

The charges tore into the interior of the container, ripping the inner canisters apart. The immense heat generated caused a number of chemical reactions, the compounds undergoing a large number of changes in a very short period of time.

The pressure within the container built up very quickly, and a lance of fire erupted from the hole Nene had burnt into it. While some of the pressure was able to escape, it was not enough. The container began to swell, like a balloon.

Laura, who was just beginning to realise what was happening, decided she did not want to be close to the expanding container. She was moving away just when the valve assembly exploded. The force and the shrapnel lifted her up and hurled her across the room. She slammed into the far wall, hitting it hard.

Where the valve assembly had been was now a gout of flame. That pushed the container forward like a rocket, sending it off of its support frame to crash onto the floor. It then slid across the floor, picking up speed, until it collided with the wall.

Sylia and Nene watched as the flame dwindled, then stopped all together, the force all used up. Nene stepped forward, deploying her recently modified sensor booms. She moved up close to the container, then slowly turned around. "Trace chemicals, no indication of the blood agent or its precursors."

Sylia let out a breath that she had not been aware she had been holding. "That was a rather large chance you took," Sylia said, keeping her voice calm.

"It was excessive," Nene admitted. "But I was certain that it would work. The container system was designed to do just what it did."

"I suppose that is true."

"What should we do now?" Nene asked. "What about her?" She looked over at the woman lying on the ground.

"We'll take care of her," a voice came from behind them.

Sylia and Nene looked towards the door, and the man in the black suit who had just entered. He walked into the room, obviously sniffing at the air. "Very good work."

"Who are you?" Sylia demanded.

"I'm from Genom," he told her. "We'll secure the area until Kyuusei can send a team in to collect this." As he said this two paramedic boomers entered the room and quickly went over to the unconscious woman.

Sylia remained where she was. She was not certain she liked the idea of turning over the site to Genom control. Kyuusei had hired her; she was responsible them.

The man, Sylia was certain he was a boomer, smiled slightly. "The terrorists are still out on the street. People are still in danger. I don't think your work is finished yet."

Not saying anything, Sylia started towards the door. She wished she were a little more like Priss at that moment. Putting one of her sword blades to the man's throat and making some sort of threat would make her feel a little better. She was not like that though.

Nene, realising that it was time to leave, quickly followed after Sylia. She kept as much distance between the man, who she also was sure was a boomer, and herself as she exited the room.

The boomer watched them go, then walked over to the paramedics. "Let me see her face," he ordered.

"Sir?" one of the paramedics said.

"Turn her so I can see her face."

"She might have a spinal injury."

"Let me see her face or I'll kill her. Then you won't have to worry about a spinal injury."

The paramedic boomers turned to look at each other. Treating one of their charges in such a way was against their basic programming, yet they also had been told to follow the C-Class's orders. Ultimately, they did as they were told to save her life.

Moving her body carefully so as to keep the spine in line, they shifted her so her face was in view. One of them cleaned the blood from her face.

"Good," the C-Class said, bringing a camera out from under his jacket. He took several pictures of her face, then knelt down, placing the camera on the floor. He removed a scanner from under his jacket and used it to make a record of her fingerprints. "Let me see one of her eyes," he told the paramedic units as he removed a pen sized retinal scanner from his pocket.

The paramedic boomers did as they were told, pulling back Laura's eyelid so the C-Class could record her retinal pattern.

"Get back to work," the C-Class said as he got back to his feet, scooping his tools up as he went.

While the paramedics worked to save the woman, the C-Class walked over to the container and began to take pictures. He bent down and took several shots of the interior through the hole where the valve used to be.

The camera work finished, he removed a sampling case from another pocket and began to swab the container, placing the samples into glass vials.

* * *

When the Genom Tower had been built it was realised that the structure would require underpinnings of the likes never seen before.

It was said that the foundations had foundations which had foundations.

It was true.

Tunnels had been dug, sloping down, deep into the earth, allowing the construction vehicles, the men and the materials to build the first and second of the foundations. All the tunnels and been filled in afterwards, they no longer had a purpose, as far as anyone knew.

At least one tunnel had not suffered that fate. For whatever reason, perhaps because it was small, only meant for people, or construction boomers, it stayed open, but forgotten. It had been sealed, hidden, lost, to any who did not know some of Genom's secrets.

The man who stepped into the dark water was someone who knew the right secrets. The money man was also the secret man, in some ways.

After leaving his hotel room it had taken him some time to find his way through the maze of deserted subway tunnels to the sealed and forgotten hatchway. A security code, also long forgottenby mosthad opened the hatch without setting off the explosive charges that would have dealt with an illegal entry.

Then it was a slow walk down the sloping passageway. Every few hundred meters the tunnel would suddenly rise up, a place for water to collect, to drain away. Unfortunately most of the drains had long since been clogged with dirt and other things. In those places stagnant water, one or two meters deep, blocked the path.

He moved through the water feeling it climb up his legs, then to his waist, up to his chest by the time he reached the ladder. He climbed out of the water and once he reached the top he sat on the ledge. The passageway sloped down again from there.

Slipping off his backpack he rifled through it, pulling out a flask full of rye. He twisted the cap off, breaking the paper seal, then put it to his lips. The alcohol warmed him quickly, dulled the pains of the long hike. He put the cap back on and returned it to his pack. It was his last bottle and he wanted to save some for a toast when it was all done.

He looked back the way he had come, the beam of his headlamp playing over the concrete ceiling. Not much farther to gohe was down deep, very deep. He looked up, wondering just how much earth was above, he marvelled at the weight of it. He was not afraid, even though he had crawled through sections of the tunnel, partially blocked by small cave ins.

Very deep. Near the end of his journey.

After several minutes of rest he pulled his backpack back on and resumed his trek down the tunnel. The terrorists would have started their attacks by now, he thought. Probably well on their way to being killed. Genom would be worried about the blood agent, looking for it. They would be too busy to be looking the right way. He was certain of it.

* * *

The fires were being brought under control as the fire fighting boomers and the human fire fighters worked to keep it from spreading. Twenty minutes before one of the GD-42s had come though the area, crashing through several buildings, and starting the fires.

Now, having hit a road block, the weapon system was on its way back. Fire fighters moved for cover, while the boomers remained where they were, combating the blaze.

The GD-42 crashed into one of the boomers, the huge legs lifting up and then slashing down onto the large boomer, driving it forward and down. The A3 continued the brutal and pointless assault on the boomer, the hook like feet raising and falling on the fire boomers back, ripping into it.

Then another of the fire fighting boomers suddenly leapt forward, hitting it hard, tangling both of the front legs in its arms. The huge boomer strained against the strength of the GD-42, pushing it back onto its rear legs. From their housings the anti-personnel whips snaked out, but they were ineffective against the huge boomer.

It suddenly released the front legs, moving in, crashing into the rear legs. The mech, unbalanced, went over onto its back.

One of the flailing legs caught the boomer, knocking it away. The GD-42 began to get up. It was at that moment when one of the ADP GD-42s came around the corner. The lasers flashed out, cutting through one of the legs. The Prometheus Bound GD-42 collapsed, putting its cockpit towards the ADP mech.

A burst from the A1's main cannon ripped into the cockpit.

Everything went quiet for a time, the enemy unit simply lying on its side, not moving.

The boomer got to its feet and went back to fighting the fire. The ADP unit remained for a time, calling ADP control and telling them that the target was down.

* * *

Almost there, he thought, reaching up to shut off the lamp around his head. There were a number of small lights placed along the ceiling at regular intervals. They provided enough light to see by.

He stopped every ten meters, looking at the small panels set in the wall. He finally found the one he was looking for and typed in the opening code. Above him a hatch opened. He reached up and pulled himself though it, into a long corridor, similar to the one below. It was a maze down there, all the tunnels that were built to allow maintenance crews to work on the lowest part of the Tower.

He continued to walk, not bothering to stop any longer. He knew exactly where he had to go now. It was as if he had been there before.

Finally he reached his destination. A small computer terminal covered by a heavy, armoured shield. It was not a major barricade to his progress. He had the code that opened it. From that computer he could get into the deepest levels of the Genom computer system.

He took off his backpack and placed it on the floor. He was about to open it when he heard a noise from down the corridor. Footfalls, many of them, the sound of people running. He released the backpack and moved into cover. He pulled his pistol from its holster and pointed it down the corridor.

When he saw the first shadows he began to fire, desperate not to be caught. The fire did not seem to make any difference. The shapes continued to move towards him.

"Throw down your weapon and come out," a voice called out. "You will not be hurt."

He remained where he was, crouched down, breathing heavily. He was going to be caught, and there was nothing he could do. No, that was wrong. There was something he could do. It came to him with surprising clarity. It was the only road to peace he had left.

Turning the pistol about, he placed the barrel into his mouth. Warm steel, gun power residue and gun oil filled his mouth, a unique mix of tastes. He suddenly felt a sense of fraternity with all those who had shared those tastes as their last experience.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

The area around the building had been cleared. The police waited behind barricades, waiting to see what the terrorists would do. The wrecked form of a GD-42 lay close by, and what looked like unmoving bodies lay in the roadway. Boomer paramedic units, cut down when they had gone out to get the wounded.

Even the most bitter of the ADP had found themselves siding with the boomers as they had gone out there to bring the casualties back to safety. One had been cut in half by a burst of fire from the terrorists' weapons. It had pulled itself back; vital fluids leaking from it as it dragged a wounded police officer with it.

The terrorists held the building, claiming they had hostages and would kill them if the police tried to gain entry into the building. They were demanding that Genom remove all boomers from Japan.

Looking at the destroyed paramedic boomers lying about, few people could feel much sympathy for the terrorists' position.

On the roof of the building three of the terrorists stood guard. They were to make sure that no one gained entry from the roof.

One of the guards was looking over the edge of the roof, down at the police. "Those idiots, they don't know what they are doing," she said. When no one answered she turned back towards her companions. A green figure with an orange face stood over the sprawled forms of her companions.

She was bringing her rifle up when a blue form rose up beside her. Something clipped her hard on the side of her head and she fell to the roof's hard surface, consciousness fading.

* * *

Priss stood over the terrorist, making sure the woman was not going to get up. "This is 2, all targets down."

"Understood 2, we're coming in."

Priss looked over at Linna who gave her a thumbs up. Priss returned the gesture, then knelt down and took the rifle from the woman she had dealt with. After ripping the trigger guard free, Priss shifted the weapon around, getting a feel for it. If Sylia did not want them using any of their hardsuit weapons, fine, but she was going to have some firepower.

Sylia and Nene put down on the roof a moment later. Sylia took a look at the rifle Priss was carrying but said nothing. It probably would not hurt to have the option if they needed it. "We're here to find out if they have hostages and if they do, then secure them. We'll let the police handle the terrorists," Sylia told them. "4, I want to know where everyone in this building is. You take point. 5, remain in position." She had stationed Mackie with the motoslaves, in case they needed heavy firepower. She doubted they would. "Let's go."

* * *

Reika watched through the rear window as 'Buddy' went off. Kou would handle the final clean up on his own. It had been almost two hours since the last of the stolen GD-42s had been dealt with.

She had received a call from Genom, suggesting she might want to come to the tower.

She undressed in the back seatthe driver had darkened the partition between him and the passenger compartment. She used the water in the limo's wet bar for a quick sponge bath. It would not do to go into Genom stinking of battle sweat.

When the limo pulled up to the steps that led into the upper tower she was ready. Clean, a freshly pressed suit, conservative use of jewellery, make-up and perfume had erased all traces of the fighting she had been involved in. She was every inch the executive, at least in appearance.

Her driver opened the door for her. After a quick check to make sure that she had not forgotten to zip up her skirt or missed a button on her blouse, Reika stepped out.

"Wait here." She told the driver.

"But..."

"Wait here. Genom will not do anything to me while I'm a guest in their own Tower," she told him.

"Yes ma'am."

Reika turned and walked up the stairs towards the glass doors that separated the interior of the Tower from the outside world. Two men in dark suits flanked one of the doors. As she approached the one on the right opened the door for her.

She moved by them, suppressing a shiver. She did not doubt they were boomers.

Inside a young woman was waiting, dressed in the uniform of a Genom office lady.

"Chang-san, would you please come with me?"

Reika nodded then followed after the woman as she walked off towards a set of elevators. The doors on one elevator slid back as they approached, revealing an empty car. The office lady walked in, Reika a few steps behind. The woman pressed a button for one of the lower floors. The door closed and they began to descend.

For a moment Reika considered trying to engage the woman in conversation. She decided against it. Too much potential that she herself might give something away.

They changed elevators twice, heading towards the deepest levels of the Tower. The areas that were talked about almost as if they were myths. Places where people could disappear. She shook off that idea, trying not to let it colour her thoughts.

"We're almost there," the woman said as the doors of the third elevator opened up, revealing a long, dimly lit corridor.

Reika followed her, doing her best to ignore the shadows, not letting her imagination fill them with dangers. She needed to be calm. She doubted that the corridor was normally kept that dark. It had the feel of the Odotte woman and her games.

The office lady stopped in front of one door and opened it. She stepped aside so Reika could enter. She heard voices coming from the room beyond when the door was beginning to open but they cut off so suddenly she could not tell what they had been saying. She entered.

Odotte, a woman Reika recognised as Katherine Madigan and several other people were in the room, sitting around a table. All of them were looking at her.

"If you will excuse me," Domino said to the others as she got to her feet. "I have to have a word with Chang-san." She made a half bow to the people at the table then moved towards Reika. "Konban wa(good evening) Chang-san. Please, come with me." She pushed open another door in the room.

Reika looked towards the people at the table then walked through the door Domino held open.

Domino followed her and closed the door behind them.

The room they were in had a large window looking into an operating theatre. A woman and man appeared to be performing an autopsy.

"What is this all about?" Reika asked. She looked away from the body.

"The corpse in there may be the cause of our mutual problems."

"He arranged it all?" Reika moved closer to the glass, almost against her will. She wanted to see his face. "What happened to him?"

"In the vernacular, he ate the barrel of his pistol. He killed himself to avoid being captured. And while we cannot be certain that he arranged everything, there are some strong indicators."

"What indicators?"

"We took a prisoner. Her name is Laura Black. She is a member of a mercenary company of some note. She identified the man as the one who provided them with the job and the money to do it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Who is he?"

"Nigel Rathen. He was the vice president in charge of production for Gulf and Bradley's military design branch."

"G&B, you mean they are..."

"No," Domino interrupted her. "Rathen-san retired eight months ago, citing personal and health problems. A month ago he embezzled the funds for this operation. Gulf and Bradley have quite a few people searching for him, and they are keeping it secret. They are a hollow shell and if anyone finds out about this they will be destroyed."

Reika absorbed the information, considering what it meant. It would not take much for Kyuusei to take G&B, and it would give her revenge for her parents. Then she realised Genom had probably known about it for at least an hour. She was by no means an expert in Mega-Finances but she knew that an hour was a huge amount of time. It was very likely that Genom would be getting bigger soon.

"What was he up to?"

"He had a few items with him." Domino indicated the table in front of the window. There was a pistol, an almost empty flask of Crown Royal, a small tool kit, several flashlights and a lap top computer, as well as some other things. Domino picked the computer up.

"This has a number of programs in it that, as of an hour ago, could have compromised our computer security, perhaps."

"Which would have given him access to?"

"Everything." Domino smiled as she placed the laptop down. "In theory."

"You seem less than concerned about that."

"Acceptable risk. We won in the end."

"You knew this was going to happen," Reika accused, several things falling into place.

"Chang-san, why ever do you say that?" Domino's tone and bearing were so innocent Reika almost bought into it.

"You've let a terrorist group operate in your city with a chemical agent that would have killed a large number of people if released. You did nothing at all to stop them. You may have been able to blame it on us but you would not have just sat back unless you knew something."

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

"Never show more than you have to Chang-san."

Reika turned away from Domino and looked back into the theatre. "Why would he kill himself?" Reika asked. "Who was he trying to protect?" She turned back to Domino.

"That is a very good question Chang-san. Unfortunately the secret dies with him."

"You still have not answered my question. Genom knew this was going to happen."

"Yes, if not this, something like it." Domino pulled a disk from her pocket. "This contains records of our interrogation with Laura Black, I'll have my Doctor send your people information on Rathen's autopsy."

"Will the autopsy tell us anything?" Reika looked back into the theatre.

"Dead men tell no tales, so they say." Domino had moved behind her and was whispering into Reika's ear. She reached around and slid the disk into the pocket of Reika's jacket. "I think you just have to ask the right questions."

"How did you know?" Reika pulled away from Domino and spun to face her.

"Genom knows everything Chang-san."

"How did you know?" Reika had to keep herself from shouting.

"Perhaps we did not know. Perhaps we just guessed. Perhaps one of the mercs informed us that they were not having much luck cracking the codes on your container."

"You knew where the blood agent was all the time?"

Domino smiled. "Perhaps."

"Can't you give me a real answer!"

"Would you believe anything I told you?"

"I think you knew. You used me, used Kyuusei, and Hou Bang."

"Perhaps. If so, it was very easy."

Reika moved forward, fast, her hand clenching into a fist, she swung at Domino. The other woman simply stood still, not moving, watching Reika come at her. Then Reika's fist just stopped, held in the vice like grip of Domino's left hand.

"This is how we do business Chang-san. Get used to it. Violence has no place here. Civility is of utmost importance."

"You're lecturing me?" Reika could not believe what had just happened.

"A parting gift." Domino released Reika's hand and turned away from her. "Leave by that door." She pointed to her right. "Our time of co-operation is at an end." Domino went through the other door, back to the room she had originally been in.

Reika turned and noted the window showing the operating room had darkened and was no longer transparent. She looked at the things on the table and considered grabbing the laptop but decided against it. She went through the door that Domino had indicated.

The office lady who had brought her was waiting for her.

"This way Chang-san."

Reika followed, thinking about what had just happened. She had been warned about Genom, but she had never quite believed that they could be as bad as she had been told. She had found out they were worse. She wondered how many steps ahead of her Odotte had been since the beginning.

I should have hit her with my free hand, Reika thought, she deserved it. Then she remembered how Domino had just grabbed her hand without seeming to move and the strength in that grip.

A ringing sound brought Reika back to herself. She looked towards the end of the hall. One of the elevators had opened and Quincy, as well as two men in black suits, had come out.

Reika stared at the man who she had desired to kill not so long ago. She still wanted to kill him, the feeling rose up in her chest with such force it surprised her. To her he represented the evil that had killed her sister. It was wrong that he should live while Irene was dead. So wrong.

Everything went through her mind. She could leap between his bodyguards, no doubt boomers, and get at him. She would die, but she was almost positive she could take him with her. Even if he was another android, like before, the shock of what she would do might make it worth it.

She passed him without acting on her thoughts. She wanted to live, it was that simple. If she could have killed him without dying, then it might be different.

* * *

_"...a man whose profession is the use of arms should think and then act upon not only his own fame, but also his descendants. He should not scandalise his name forever by holding his one and only life too dear. On the other hand, to consider this life that is given to us only once as nothing more than dust and ashes, and lose it at a time when one should not, would be to gain a reputation that is not worth having"_  
**- Shiba Yoshimasa**


	16. Flash Powder 10

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 10 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Quincy turned to look back at Reika Chang as she entered the elevator. Their eyes met just as the doors closed between them.

He smiled.

She hated him, he could see the desire to do murder dancing behind her eyes, only a fraction weaker than her desire to live.

A Reika Chang who hated Genom could be a threat. A Reika Chang who hated him was not so dangerous. It was much easier to protect his own life. With luck she would go back to her music career and leave the elder Chang with no suitable heir. The Chang Group had been a growing threat for too long.

He turned back and continued on. One of his bodyguards opened a door for him, Quincy entered. The executives in the room all came to their feet, bowing.

Quincy took the seat that Madigan pulled away from the table for him. He sat. No one else did.

"What have you found out about Rathen?"

"Nothing new." Domino told him. "We are looking for his mistress. He has not been in contact with his estranged wife for over a year. We are going to have a conversation," Domino put subtle stress on 'conversation', "with his son."

"Do you know who he was working with yet?"

"No. He may have been able to do it all on his own. He had the necessary funds, but as to what purpose we still do not know. I am still looking for links."

Quincy nodded, then turned slightly. "What about Gulf and Bradley?" he asked Kaneda.

"We should have control in a day Shachou-sama."

"Should?" Quincy asked him. "I don't want to hear should.

"Of course sir." Kaneda looked like he wanted to light up a cigarette. "We are currently making contact with the major shareholders of Gulf and Bradley. We will release news of that corporation's economic problems to coincide with those meetings, which are being arranged to all fall at the same time. There is a high probability that the current shareholders will be willing to sell, at a loss of course."

"And then?"

"Well, once we have made the necessary investments to stabilise Gulf and Bradley we will be able to absorb those parts of the corporation you wanted, the rest will be split up and sold. The profit from the venture should, that is to say, according to current computer models, will be in excess of seventeen billion yen."

"Make sure you stay on schedule," Quincy told him as he got to his feet. Everyone in the room bowed as he left the room.

Everything had worked out to Genom's advantage, he thought as he walked towards the elevators, his bodyguards flanking him. Initial losses had been very high, but not so much as to cripple Genom in any real way. The profit from the operation with Gulf and Bradley would come close to offsetting some of the losses. He stepped into the elevator, its doors opening as soon as he got near.

The damage to Genom's property in space was annoying and expensive. It would take time to rebuild and repair it. Fortunately Dr. Stingray's boomers made space construction reasonably cheap and simple.

The only thing that bothered him was who might be behind it all. Whoever it was, he, she, or they were very good. But then again Odotte and Madigan were both very good as well. He also had a number of channels of his own that brought in some very valuable information.

And once he found out who it was who dared to threaten GenomQuincy squeezed the head of his cane hard enough so the wood creakedhe would crush them.

* * *

Sylia hid a yawn behind her hand as she stepped into the elevator. Things had quieted down in the city, while there were still some terrorists at large, they seemed more interested in hiding and escaping than continuing the fight. Sylia was fairly certain that both Prometheus Bound, and the Neo Ludites would be lacking in strength and credibility in Japan for some time. Genom was probably happy about that.

In fact it was likely that events of the previous night would rebound negatively on the Neo Ludites the world over. Unfortunate for them, as they were a mostly peaceful group, but Sylia was glad. She had never been overly impressed with the Ludite beliefs.

She leaned back against the wall of the elevator, closing her eyes. Hard night all around and it was not quite over. She had to crunch some numbers and make some calls before everything could be neatly tied up. She hoped that Genom had not interfered in anyway with Chang-san's people reclaiming the container. The Knight Sabers were to get a large bonus if they helped to ensure that the blood agent was not used and that Kyuusei regained possession of the stolen goods or the remains.

Straightening, Sylia rocked forward and pressed the button for the penthouse. The faster she finished up the sooner she could get some sleep.

Linna was already asleep in one of Sylia's guest bedrooms. Sylia did not begrudge her that. She had to be up early for a day of dancing. Sylia could let one of her salesladies run the Silky Doll.

Nene had also left early, but she had gone straight back to the ADP. It was not likely that Nene would be getting any rest soon.

Priss had stayed to check her gear over and help Mackie get everything ready for repairs. They had come out of the fighting with minor, mostly cosmetic damage. That was fortunate. Then Priss had left a few minutes before Sylia herself had left the basements.

Mackie would probably just pass out on one of the cots down there.

The elevator doors opened and Sylia stepped out into the penthouse. She turned towards her office when she heard the faint notes. Frowning slightly, she turned and walked towards the living room. There she found Priss seated behind her Yamaha grand, playing softly.

"This disturbing you?" Priss asked quietly, not looking up.

"Not really. I was just curious." Sylia listened to a few more of the notes. "That is new, isn't it."

Priss nodded, then looked up. "Just writing some new songs," she said. After a few seconds she added, "An old friend offered me a chance to do some recording, if I come up with the songs first. Normally I'd tell whoever made an offer like that to piss off, but this guy I know well enough."

"Big label?"

"Not according to David-san. But, it could go somewhere. Maybe I should have mentioned this before, but after that last screw up I decided I didn't want to make too big of a deal about this."

Sylia nodded. "Good night," she said, then turned away.

Priss watched her go, then looked back at the music she had written. Picking up a pen she changed a note then played through it once more. She smiled slightly and nodded.

* * *

Things were busy at the ADP building when Nene pulled her patrol car into a spot in front of the building. She'd wait before trying to park the vehicle in the garage. It was likely busy in there.

She entered through the lobby doors and almost turned around and went back out. The place was packed with reporters, all trying to get some information. She spotted Wada, and a few other of the PR brigade fielding those questions. Nene ducked her head low and made a beeline for the elevators. She looked a slight mess, and did not want to show up on TV before she had a chance to clean up.

That's what she did in the locker room a short time later. No time for a shower, unfortunately, but she managed to clean up a little, and brush her hair out of the helmet-head-look being in a hardsuit gave her.

Time to face the music, whatever it would be.

When she entered the communications room she was surprised to see how empty it was. There were a few women sleeping at their desks, and one person standing in the centre of the room. The woman turned when she heard Nene enter.

Nene recognised her, had been fairly certain when she saw her back. Kaneko Akamura, a lieutenant who worked down in forensics. She was a little above average height, which made her taller than Nene. Her brown hair went just below her shoulders where it curled slightly. Her eyes were brown. She wore a long, black, pleated skirt that went to her ankles, a white blouse and a short, black jacket.

"Ah, Romanova-san, perfect timing." Kaneko smiled. She usually smiled.

"Akamura-keibu, can I help you?"

"Yes. Grab a computer, I need some help at a site."

"Right," Nene said, going to her desk and getting her laptop. "What is it?"

"Possible boomer problem," Kaneko walked over to the door and picked up her briefcase and over coat. "They want me to take a look at it and see if we need to get involved. And while we are there we can take care of a few other things, hence my need for someone who can work a computer."

Nene nodded as she tucked the computer under her arm and walked towards the Lieutenant. "I'm ready."

"Let's go," Kaneko said, walking from the communications room.

Kaneko led Nene down into the garage, which was as busy as Nene had suspected. Kaneko's vehicle, one of the new patrol cars, was parked close to the elevator. Kaneko opened the passenger door first, tossed her briefcase into the back, then let Nene enter while she circled around to the driver's door.

"What was it like tonight?" Nene asked a short time later.

"Pardon?" Kaneko asked as she looked over her shoulder before making a turn.

"I was busy elsewhere so I missed some of it."

"I'm not the best to ask about it. They had me out handling traffic duty and evacuation for the most part. We suffered losses, so did all the police branches. Could have been worse I suppose."

Nene nodded. It indeed could have been worse. Had the AF-5 been released. "Is it over yet?"

"Soon. No more real fighting going on, as I understand it. Now it's just clean up."

Nene, at a loss for anything else to say said nothing. Kaneko seemed content to just let the conversation die.

Later Kaneko drove through a police barricade, entering an area that had been sealed off.

That a fire had been burning through the area was obvious. One building was a gutted wreck, and the buildings on either side of it showed fire damage as well. A GD-42 lay on the street, close to the damaged form of a fire fighting boomer. Another fire fighting boomer was kneeling down, hands resting on the roadway. It looked to be deactivated.

Kaneko pulled to a stop close to the GD-42 and shut her engine off. "We'll take a look at the GD-42 first."

"What happened here?" Nene asked.

"As I understand it the fire fighting boomer over there," she indicated the one that was kneeling, "pounded the hell out of this thing. Arguably it had cause, but we can't ignore such behaviour."

Nene nodded, a little confused by Kaneko's statement, but did not ask her to clarify it. She was certain that it was just that they were both tired. Kaneko retrieved her briefcase from the car, then walked over to the GD-42. She looked it over, the placed the briefcase on the ground and opened it up.

"Here," she tossed a small package towards Nene. "Latex up."

Nene grabbed the package from the air and looked at it. Wadded up tightly in a soft plastic shell were a pair of latex gloves. Nene tore the package open and put the gloves on. Kaneko, also wearing gloves by then, began to gently poke her fingers into holes in the canopy. She knelt down and ran her fingers along the seam between the canopy and the body of the mech.

"Do you think the pilots are alive?" Nene asked, looking for the emergency canopy release.

"I doubt it." She looked up at Nene who was prying off the cover for the emergency release. "Don't do that."

Nene stopped. "Sorry."

Kaneko smiled. "Nothing to be sorry about. I just don't want to blow the canopy off." She took a cordless drill from her briefcase and found the locking bolt. After slotting the universal-locking wrench onto the bolt, she pulled the trigger. It took a little over a minute for the lock to release.

During that time a minivan with ADP markings had pulled up just outside of the police barricades. The doors opened and four people climbed out, one carrying a camera.

Kaneko looked up at them as she worked. "Ah, the film crew."

"Who?" Nene asked.

"A Canadian film crew, they've been wandering about the city all night with the various Tac squads."

"Oh, yes, Wada-san told me about that. Wasn't it dangerous for them to be out?"

"As I understand it they all have wartime experience." There was a click as the locking mechanism released. The canopy opened slightly.

Kaneko put the drill back in her briefcase then reached forward under the canopy and gave it a pull. Nene moved in to help her.

They pulled it back, revealing the scene inside. The pilot and gunner were obviously dead. Nene and Kaneko's noses were assailed by the scent of blood and other things. Nene took a step back and turned away. A look of distaste crossed Kaneko's face, but she stepped in close. Most of the blood had congealed into a gelatine like mass, though some of it was still liquid enough drip out onto the ground.

The man in the pilot's station had likely died instantly. Half his head had been blown away, and there was damage to his chest and shoulders. The gunner, a small, almost harmless looking man had probably bled to death. It looked as if his wounds had been caused by shrapnel. She reached out and gently pushed his glasses straight, then stepped back.

"Give me a hand closing this thing Romanova-san," Kaneko said. "No need for them to be recorded. We'll let them keep some dignity."

Nene moved forward and helped Kaneko push the canopy closed. "Killed by fire from the other GD-42 most likely. We can let the police handle the bodies." She pulled her gloves off. "You pull the records from the computer, I'll take a look at the boomer. Let's see if we can get out of here before we have to do an interview."

"Hai," Nene said, walking back towards the car to get her computer.

* * *

Quincy stood looking out the windows of his office. The sky was beginning to lighten as dawn came. From so high up it was hard to see any signs of the damage that had been done in the city the night before. There were a few, tall columns of smoke raising up into the air, but little else than that.

Domino stood near his desk, not saying anything, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

Finally Quincy turned to face her. "What have you found out?"

"Something intriguing turned up in the autopsy, lesions in the brain tissue. They are indicative of Stingray-hakase's process."

"Are you sure of that?"

"No. There was too much damage to the brain to be sure of anything."

"Who knows about this?"

"Satto-hakase, myself, and you. Satto-hakase will not say anything, and the boomer that was assisting her has had its memory wiped."

"Keep it that way."

"Hai," Domino said. "Also, I have to report that our attempt to bring in Rathen's mistress has failed. She left her hotel room soon after everything began. It is possible that she has left the country by now. We are continuing to search for her."

Quincy nodded. "Keep on it. What about Chang Reika-kun? She has succeeded in this. It puts her in a position of strength when it comes to her grandfather's position."

"I have not finished with her yet."

Quincy nodded. "When will you be able to speak with your guest?"

"In a few hours. I'd like to request control of her ultimate disposition."

"You have it," he said in a dismissive fashion.

Domino bowed deeply, then turned and walked from his office.

* * *

Leon walked into his office. He was exhausted, but he was not alone in that. All he wanted to do was get a few hours of sleep before he started writing reports. He walked to his desk, noting that there were several envelopes and clear plastic bags on the desktop.

Leon dropped into his chair and picked up one of the bags, looking at the contents. It looked like a piece of burnt metal. He dropped the bag and picked up an envelope, tearing it open, then removing several sheets of typed paper.

Leaning back in his chair he began reading. Suddenly the sense of exhaustion about him seemed to flow away. He sat up straight, looking the pages over. After a minute he dropped them and tore open another envelope, removing the information there.

"Damn," he said after several minutes. He reached into his jacket and removed his NAVI. "Damn," he said again.

* * *

"So was there anything wrong with the boomer?" Nene asked as they climbed into Kaneko's car.

"No, not that I could find. There may have been something, but it is hard to say."

"What do you mean by 'something'?"

"An augmentation to its core programming. It is possible, but there is no way to tell for sure."

"Do you think Genom did it?"

Kaneko started up the engine, a thoughtful look on her face. "It would be something they would do. It suggests they knew that this was coming."

Nene nodded, knowing that for the truth. "What are you going to do?"

"Take a closer looks at the programming, see if there is any real proof. If there is I'll send that information to investigations. I wonder if anyone will do anything?"

"Shouldn't they?"

"Yes." Kaneko put the car into gear and pulled away from the area. "It might be left alone. It will be hard to prove, and hard to lay the blame. Genom might simply give us a scapegoat who will admit to doing it. A lot of people in investigations have better things to do."

"How can they just ignore the problem?"

"One might argue that it is not a problem. That boomer stopped a threat to it, its fellow boomers, the fire fighters and the city. After that it calmly went back to fighting the fire, and when the fire fighters ordered it to shut down and wait, it did so. Hardly the behaviour of a dangerous boomer. On the other hand, if the boomer was altered, those who did so may have had no idea if it would really work. They took a very dangerous chance. Fire fighting boomers are one of the most useful, non-combat boomers in existence, but their size and power could make them one of the most dangerous.

"For investigations it might be a difficult choice to make."

Nene nodded, seeing the point that Kaneko was making. She was about to ask Kaneko what she would do if it were her choice when Kaneko's NAVI buzzed.

Kaneko removed her NAVI, setting it on the dash of the car, and then flipped it open. "Akamura-desu."

"Kaneko-san, this is Leon. Can you get back to the station as fast as possible?"

"I'm heading there now. What's up?"

"Not now. I'll tell you when you get here."

"I'll be there soon."

"Good," Leon said, then cut the connection.

Kaneko looked over at Nene then shrugged her shoulders. At that moment Nene's NAVI buzzed.

"I bet you it's Leon-san," Nene said as she took the NAVI from her jacket.

* * *

Reika sat across from Kou, looking over the reports that were coming to her.

"Are all our people out of the country yet?" Reika asked him.

"Almost, we have most of the heavy equipment out. In about an hour none of our personnel should be in the city except for the ones who were here before all this started. We have to thank McNichol-kichou for getting clearance for our planes. Being able to use even small airports in the city was of great help."

Reika leaned back in her seat, glad for the good news. As soon as it was obvious the terrorists were in retreat, a rout in some cases, Reika had ordered her people to begin breaking camp.

Casualty numbers of her people had been a bit high, but not that bad and fatalities were thankfully low. The different branches of the police departments had suffered higher numbers of both casualties and fatalities, but not as bad as it could have been.

Thankfully both casualties and fatalities among the civilian population had been very small. They had been successful in that part of the operation.

"Genom sent us some information," Kou told her.

"What is it?"

"It concerns the mercenaries that started this. All of them are dead. Hamilton Davis, Jasmine Byron, Tony Siprian, Keith Otton and Rebecca Lin."

"All of them?"

"Someone is cleaning up their trail. It is to be expected."

"Are you sure that they are all dead?"

"Hou Bang confirmed deaths of all of them except Rebecca Lin. A team is currently on its way to Fiji to examine Miss Lin's remains and confirm that."

"So we may never know who was ultimately behind this?"

"It is hard to say," Kou told her.

Reika nodded and said nothing for a time. Finally she looked at Kou. "Kou, how did I do?" Reika asked the question that had been on her mind since she had left the Genom Tower.

"Depends, you have protected Hou Bang from a publicity backlash we might not have recovered from. You played right into Genom's hands, but anyone might have. They are very good. Cost wise, we will suffer for from this for a time, it was very expensive with no real profit. You did as well as could be expected and you gained useful experience. Next time you'll probably do better."

"If there is a next time," Reika said softly.

"True," Kou told her.

"Do you think I should just go back to singing?"

"You ask that often, too often really." There was a touch of something in his voice, Reika thought it might be anger. "It's not something for me to say Reika. Make those decisions for yourself."

"I...I guess you're right."

"You have hard choices to make Reika. It's all a part of growing up."

Reika nodded. "So it's all over but the paperwork."

"It's never over," Kou told her.

* * *

Nene sighed as she looked at the information that scrolled across her screen. She wished that it was not so easy, but for whatever reason, finding the link between Taplin Chemicals and Kyuusei Industries had been.

She wondered how Leon had received the information, then decided that she knew. Genom. It made sense. She did not understand what they were trying to prove. The information and evidence that Leon had received could not be used in a court of law, not really. All they had was conjecture.

She had thought about lying to Leon about it, telling him that she found no link between the chemical company and Kyuusei. In a way she owed that to Reika Chang. She could not do that though. There had been something in Leon, hovering between hurt and anger that made lying to him impossible.

"How's it going?" Leon asked, coming into the room.

"I've verified the information you received," Nene told him, turning towards him. "Taplin Chemicals is owned by Kyuusei Industries, or by the same group that owns Kyuusei Industries."

"Hou Bang."

"I suppose."

Leon nodded. "Thanks Nene-chan. Go home, get some sleep."

"What about Sergeant Harrison?"

"I'll deal with Madoka-san. Just go home. You look as tired as I feel."

"Thank you Leon-san. I'll just clean up here," Nene told him as she began to erase her work.

"Do that."

Nene watched as Leon walked from the room, and then she turned her attention towards covering up everything she had just done.

* * *

Kaneko was sitting behind the counter in one of the ADP forensic labs. She held a test tube in her hand and was slowly swinging it back and forth; watching for the colour change she knew was going to come. It was just a final test to confirm everything else she had discovered. The liquid inside the test tube turned red.

She turned on her stool to face Leon. "I've confirmed everything in those reports you were sent, but that does not mean that the final conclusions they sent you are true."

"But they could be." It was not a question.

"They could be."

"How deadly would it have been?"

"Not my speciality Captain McNichol."

"Make an educated guess," he told her.

"It would have been fatal in extremely low concentrations. You would have to look hard to find a deadlier agent. That is my educated guess."

"Thank you Kaneko-san."

"From the way you look, I'm not sure you should be thanking me. Maybe cursing me would be better?"

"I'll save my curses for someone else." He walked over to her and began gathering up everything he had been sent.

"What are you going to do with all that?"

"Return it to its owner," Leon told her.

* * *

As Leon pulled his car out of the ADP motorpool he flipped on his flashing lights and the sirens. Several people were forced to get out of his way, and he had to swerve around a wrecker that was brining an APC in.

Leon drove through the streets, going as fast as the conditions would allow. He had always known that Reika Chang was holding something back. He had not let in concern him, sure that it was nothing too dangerous or important. He had been very wrong.

The sun was up, the light blinding. He put his sunglasses on. The roads were strangely empty, people not sure if they wanted to go out yet. He passed a number of police barricades that were in the process of being taken down.

The Road Chasers were the fastest vehicles in the ADP motor pool. It did not take him long to reach the Kyuusei Tokyo Foundation. He hit his brakes, the car fishtailed, he twisted the wheel, letting up on the brakes slightly. The car slid sideways into three parking spaces.

She jerked me around, Leon flung the door open, the lights on the cruiser still flashing. He grabbed the bag he had stuffed all the evidence into. She played the entire police force for her own ends. He ran from his car towards the entrance of the building. She had withheld vital information.

Leon got to the door and yanked on it. It was locked. He began pounding on the glass.

"What are you doing?" The security guard's voice was muffled by the glass. Only a normal security guard Leon noted. All the embarrassing people and equipment were out of the country by now. He had helped with that.

"AD Police, open up." Leon pulled his badge out.

The security guard looked at the ID through the glass, then he opened the door.

"Do you have a warrant? If not I'm afraid I can't let you in. We'll be open in a few hours."

Leon let his badge drop and shoulder rushed the man, knocking him back. Part of Leon's mind was telling him that this was a bad career move. Leon did not care. He grabbed the guard by the lapels of his jacket and carried him back, slammed him into the security desk, and bent him over it.

"I want to speak to Chang and if you ask me for a warrant again you'll regret it."

"She's...She's not seeing anyone." His hands were flailing about, trying to hit Leon but there was no force behind his blows.

"Tell me where she is." Leon pulled the jacket lapels in towards the centre, putting pressure on the man's throat.

"I...I..." he choked out.

"That's enough Captain McNichol." Reika's voice came from behind him.

Leon pulled the man up and then pushed him away. He stumbled back a few steps before falling on the floorhis face a deep red. Leon spun to face Reika.

"They had chemical weapons, and you knew."

"That is an interesting accusation." Reika walked towards him. "And I would guess hard to prove." She told him. Leon noticed that Kou was a few steps behind her, watching both of them.

"Nice," Leon said. "Genom teach you that line?"

Reika stopped. Had not Odotte said something similar to her only a few days ago? She shook it off and walked up to Leon.

"What do you want to talk about Captain McNichol? What's so important that you come here this early in the morning, and assault one of my employees?"

Leon took the bag he had brought with him and upended it. The samples, the vials, the balled up pieces of paper fell out, raining down on the floor. The vials rang out as they bounced off the floor, then a skittering sound as they rolled off. "The terrorists had access to a chemical weapon, one produced by Taplin Chemicals. A company controlled by Kyuusei Industries, so don't tell me that you didn't know. By the looks of things, if I had arrived any later you would have been gone." Leon looked over at several pieces of luggage being held by other security personnel.

"Are you arresting us?" Reika asked, keeping her voice calm.

"As you said, I can't prove anything. Convenient that. This evidence," he brought his foot down on one of the glass vials. It cracked under his foot, "is useless in proving a case."

"So what is this all about?" She kept her face deadpan.

"I guess I hoped you might actually be different." Leon shook his head. "You got lucky this time, no one was hurt. Next time..." Leon turned his back and began to walk towards the doors. "Are your secrets worth lives Chang-san?" Leon yelled over his shoulder. He did not know it but it was the cruellest thing he could say and it hurt Reika deeply.

She did not show it. Leon waited a moment. "I didn't expect an answer." He walked through the doors, bending down to pick up his badge on the way out. Leon was outlined in the early morning sunlight. A moment later he was gone from sight.

Reika lowered her head. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Kou's concerned face. He pressed a handkerchief into her hand.

"Be strong," he told her.

"Kou..." Reika suddenly buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

Kou held her.

* * *

**February 15, San Francisco, Chang Estate, 21:15**

Shouki Chang looked out the windows of his office, over the manicured grounds of the estate. Bright lights illuminated the winter bare grounds. He turned his wheel chair slightly so he could see the fountain that his wife had purchased in Greece and had brought to the mansion. At the time he had thought it a foolish purchase but it had set off the grounds so perfectly.

He felt old that day, very old.

In his lap were two reports. One from Reika, one from Kou. He was pleased with his granddaughter's performance. Admittedly she had missed a number of things but with Genom that was hardly surprising.

While some of his more experienced executives might have been able to spot them he doubted they could have done anything about it. Genom had held all the cards.

Kou's report was making him feel old. He was not sure what to do if Reika was unable to take over for him. His son was dead, Irene was dead, he had no direct family left other than Reika.

His grandfather had built the company that would become Kyuusei Industries. He had brought it into the fold of the Tiger Corps, and then had risen to lead it. His father had taken over and passed it on to him. Three generations of Changs that had headed the powerful group of Asian Pacific based companies.

And now that might end.

Even if Reika chose to take over from him, he was not sure he could, in good faith, recommend her for the position. Not in the immediate future.

If only his son had survived.

Shouki wished he could step down. His mind was as sharp as ever but his body was betraying him. He always felt tired.

He moved his wheelchair across the room and placed the reports on his desk.

Perhaps he could give the position to Kou. He was the son of an old friend, was almost like another member of the family. It was something to think about.

"Sir." His secretary came into the room. "Your niece is here."

"Send her in," Shouki told the man as he turned the chair.

Louise was not really his niece. She was the daughter of a cousin. But so few members of his family survived, even a relation as tenuous as that was worth keeping.

"Uncle." Louise came into the room. "I'm so glad you could make time to see me."

"It is always a pleasure to see you, I can always make time."

"Thank you uncle." She crossed the room and bent down to kiss him on his cheek.

"Would you like anything?" he asked her.

"Well, some tea would be nice," she said.

"Of course. Thomas," he called in his soft voice. His secretary was through the door almost instantly. "Some tea please."

"Yes sir." He turned and was gone.

"So, how are your studies going Louise."

"Oh, just fine, a few problems, but nothing major."

"That's good."

"How are you Uncle? You look a little tired."

"Age." He smiled at her. "But I'm fine."

"You should get some more rest," she said to him.

"I should."

"You work so hard Uncle and you have been so good to me."

"You're family."

Louise suddenly looked uncomfortable, just for a moment but it was hard not to notice.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just reminded of something unpleasant."

"What is it?"

"Nothing really. Just one of those personal things that always seems worse than it is." She sighed. "Let me get that tea." She got to her feet suddenly and left the office. It was only a few seconds later that she came back in. "Thomas is really efficient," Louise told Shouki as she came back in and placed the silver tea service on a low table. "Would you like some tea Uncle?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Just a moment." Louise bent down to pour the tea. She made sure that her body covered her actions. She slid a small tube from her sleeve, pinched it open and poured the contents out into the cup.

It was a kindness, she told herself, repeating what she had been told, he was so old. The poison was painless, she had been assured. It would look like natural causes. And once she did it, all her problems would be over. The best for everyone. She was almost at the point where she had herself convinced.

She filled both cups with tea, making sure the fine powder dissolved fully.

"Would you like milk or sugar Uncle?"

"No thank you," he said, looking at her back.

"Just a moment then." Louise put three cubes of sugar in her own cup. She turned and handed the cup and saucer to Shouki then took a seat, holding her own cup and saucer in her lap. She took a long drink from her cup, staring over it at her uncle. "You should drink that before it gets cold," she told him. She could not hide a touch of nervousness in her voice.

"Do they think me that stupid?" Shouki asked.

"Uncle?"

"I wasn't asking you Louise." He moved his wheelchair over to the table and placed the cup and saucer down. "I'm disappointed in you and you have hurt me," he said slowly.

Louise bolted up, her cup hitting the floor. She ran towards the door, crying. She was stopped by two large men in dark suits.

"Don't hurt her," Shouki said in as loud a voice as he was capable of. It caused him to cough several times. "Find out what hold they have on her, then break it."

"I'm sorry Uncle, I'm sorry, please, don't hurt me," she sobbed.

"Take her to a secure room. Make sure she doesn't hurt herself," he told his security men.

Once they had left he turned his chair to face the window again. He had not wanted to believe it when his security people had told him Louise might be plotting his death. He knew Genom was behind it, he also knew he would never prove it.

They had used a member of his family in the attempt. That hurt him so deep he could not even begin to express it.

He doubted Genom had thought he was that stupid. They would not mind seeing him dead but they would rather break him, he knew. As tears ran down a face, deeply lined with age, he wished they had succeeded. Death might have been preferable.

* * *

**February 16th, Thursday, 09:25, MegaTokyo**

The room was dark. Or maybe there was something over her eyes. Rebecca was not sure. She tired to remember what had happened, maybe it would help her puzzle out where she was. She remembered walking into her bungalow after a day on the beach, well, she remembered opening the door, but after that, nothing.

What was happening?

Suddenly she felt something cool blow across the skin on the back of her neck.

"Is someone there?" she called out, wondering why her voice sounded so odd.

Suddenly she could see, as if a light had been switched on. She thought there would be that momentary pain when one went from darkness to light, but there was no discomfort. That confused her.

Sitting across from her was a girl, probably about eleven or twelve. Her black hair was cut short, just below her ears. Behind her stood a woman, probably in her early twenties. She had black hair, currently piled atop her head, and wore a suit. Rebecca recognised the Genom lapel pin on her jacket. Why was it reversed?

"So back among the living I see," the woman across from her said, but she heard it as if the voice came from above her.

Rebecca looked up, seeing a woman, a twin to the one across from her, standing behind the chair she sat on. She looked back to the other woman, and noticed the girl was doing the same thing. She stared at the girl, who was staring back at her. Slowly, Rebecca lifted her hand, touching her face. The girl across from her copied the movement exactly.

"Impossible," she said.

"Nothing is impossible," the woman said, walking around the chair, blocking Rebecca's view of the mirror. "It is just difficult and very expensive," Domino told her.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked, looking at the woman.

"There was a mercenary team led by a man named Hamilton Davis."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Davis was very good at his job, had a very good team. Unfortunately someone convinced him that Genom had set him and his people up, so he attacked Genom. This led to a state of corporate warfare between Genom and the Hou Bang organisation.

"Whoever set Mr. Davis and his team up to do this obviously did not want either Genom or Hou Bang to talk to them. In order to do this they killed Mr. Davis and his team. All of them."

"That is a lie," Rebecca said. There was no way they could have killed everyone.

"It is very true. All of his team were killed, including Rebecca Lin."

Rebecca stared at the woman in front of her. "You're crazy."

"No. I'll let you read the files on the deaths of the other members of Mr. Davis' team, but I'll tell you about Rebecca. The assassin was waiting for her in her bungalow. I suspect Miss Lin thought that her security system would warn her of something like that, but the assassin was very good, in some respects.

"Miss Lin came into her bungalow, walked into the centre of the room when he, we assume he right now, shot her the first time. In the head," Domino said as she reached out and put her finger on Rebecca's forehead. "The bullet, for whatever reason, did not penetrate, but slid along the outside of the skull, tearing Miss Lin's left ear off." She traced her finger along the path she described.

"Head wounds are very bloody, so it is probably understandable that he thought that the bullet had done more than crease the skull. There was a concussion of course. He then dropped his point of aim, a 9mm pistol we believe, and put three shots into her chest." Domino reached out and poked her in the chest, hard, three times. "Missed the heart, though he did damage superior vena cava. The other two ripped through the left lung, collapsing it.

"If it had been me, I would have made sure the job was finished, another shot to the head, just to be sure, but the assassin did not. He did set the bungalow on fire before he left though, so perhaps his mistake in understandable."

"What are you saying?" Rebecca asked, getting to her feet.

Domino pushed her back down. "I'm telling you something very important. A Genom extraction team arrived within minutes of this happening and recovered Miss Lin. A medical team was on site, and they did everything they could to save her. The burns were too extensive, and she had lost a lot of blood. She was going to die.

"One of the paramedic boomers there was one of my operatives. I had given orders of what to do in such a case. He made a copy of Miss Lin's mind."

"That's crazy!"

"Is it? Look for yourself," Domino moved back, allowing her to look at the mirror. "Is that Rebecca Lin?"

"This is some sort of trick."

Domino shook her head. "Rebecca Lin was killed. You are," she paused, as if thinking about it. "A doll. You are a doll with the memories of Rebecca Lin. I needed to know what Miss Lin knew. You are the pages I had that information written on."

"No! I am Rebecca Lin!" she screamed.

"Rebecca Lin is dead."

"No!"

Domino removed a small remote from her suit jacket pocket. "Look at this," she said, pressing a button on the remote.

In the space above the mirror and image formed. It showed a man, probably in his early fifties, smiling broadly.

Domino watched as the girl tensed up suddenly, then relaxed slightly, a look of surprise and confusion on her face. She turned to look at Domino.

"Tony Lin, Miss Lin's father, as you know. As you also know, he sexually molested her for several years. Miss Lin always claimed that she took the Growth Restraint of her own choice. The truth is her father gave it to her when he realised she was getting older.

"You know all this, you have memories of it happening, but for some reason you are not sure of, you seem to be lacking something. You can't feel the hate for that man up there. You can't feel the shame, the self-loathing when you remember what he did to you. It is almost as if you read a book about Rebecca Lin's life." Domino used the remote again, changing the image. This time it was a woman. "Miss Lin's mother."

Rebecca looked up at the image, confusion on her face.

"You know you should hate her for dying, for leaving Rebecca with Tony, but you can't feel it. You can't feel the guilt for hating her either." Domino used the remote, going through picture after picture, letting the girl look at them before going onto the next.

"This can't be," she said, but her tone told Domino that she was defeated.

"It is. Look at it as a gift. Rebecca Lin has given you her life, without the emotional baggage. Perhaps you will be able to lead her life in a way that she never did. Before you can do that though, we need to talk." Domino dropped the remote. It hit the ground with a soft crack. The projected images began to flash across the screen, creating a strobe effect.

The girl looked at Domino. "I won't tell you anything. Even if I am not Rebecca Lin, she would not talk."

"You'd be surprised," Domino said, reaching out to take the girl's hand. She gently ran her thumb across the top of it. "The people you are trying to protect are the people that killed you, well, Rebecca, and Rebecca's friends, or associates."

The girl said nothing.

Domino sighed. "This is an amazing body you are in. It has abilities that you will, in time, find quite outstanding. Right now though, you do not have access to those abilities. This body, for all intents and purposes, is human."

"Am I a boomer?" she asked.

"Maybe. It would depend how you look at it. I would not let it worry you. It will take a fairly in depth examination to discover you are other than human." Domino looked at her, then gently ran her hands along the girl's smallest finger. Suddenly she snapped the finger back, popping it from the socket.

She screamed, jerking up. Domino used an arm lock to force the girl, face down, onto the floor. Domino waited until her sobbing quieted. "Human, except you don't have the option of passing out due to pain, or from dying because of it. Do you understand that?"

She said nothing, telling herself that pain was not important. She was also remembering Tony once saying that everyone, in time, would break.

"I don't want to hurt you," Domino told her, then snapped her ring finger back, eliciting new screams. "That does not mean that I won't." Domino let her sob for a time, then removed a small, L shaped device from the pocket opposite to the one she had removed the remote from. She placed the end of the shorter bar against the base of the girl's little finger and activated the device. She did the same for the ring finger.

Her sobs stopped suddenly. "What happened?" she asked, sounding confused.

"One of the benefits I was speaking off," Domino said as she moved the girl back up onto the chair. "Perhaps I will explain later. I repeat, I do not want to hurt you, but I will. If you force me to do so, you will regret it. Co-operate, and you will be rewarded. Think about it."

Domino reached under the chair and brought forth a first aid kit. She tapped the dislocated fingers together, a piece of splinting material between them. The girl watched as this happened and wondered what she should do? She did not want to be tortured. She did not want to think what might be done after that. The threat, that she would regret it if she forced the woman in front of her to hurt her, hung over her.

Domino finished up, then looked her straight in the eyes. "Do you understand what I have said?"

"Yes," she said.

"I am going to ask you a number of questions, I know the answers to some of them. Do not lie. One lie and I'll have to do this the unpleasant way. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

Domino smiled, and reached up to brush the hair out of the girl's eyes. "Good. Shall we begin?"

* * *

Priss yawned deeply, her bike wobbled, at those speeds she almost found herself in opposing traffic. Man am I tired, Priss thought. She had earlier fallen asleep at Sylia's piano, face resting on smooth, polished wood. The sunlight had finally crept across her eyes, waking her.

The city was coming to terms with what had happened the night before, and were dealing with it. The people of MegaTokyo were tough, you had to give them that. Priss had heard snatches of news. While Prometheus Bound had always been an outlawed group, it had been treated as something of a minor problem. They were only a militant anti-Genom group, and some people thought that not so bad. Not any longer.

Not only was Prometheus Bound suffering, but its parent group, the Neo Ludites, was coming under investigation. Supposedly a number of the leaders of both groups had turned up dead. Priss knew a little too much to pass it off as infighting, as the press seemed content to do. Someone was cleaning up a mess.

She pulled onto the off ramp and headed down into the city, driving through the area she called home. Not too many people around, Priss thought, looking around. She wondered how long before Genom started rebuilding the area.

Priss slowed down to look at something. Yellow police tape, the remains of it at least. Well, she should not be surprised. The type of area she lived in seemed to be where most of the action happened. She sped up, passing it, not her problem.

As soon as Priss saw her trailer she realised there was a problem. It was bent, part of the roof a ragged mess. Water was leaking through the floor onto the ground. She pulled her bike in beside it, shut the engine off and after putting the kick stand down she got off the bike. She hung her helmet on the handlebars, then walked around the trailer.

There were bullet holes in the sides, bending down she could see the large holes in the floor. The axles of the trailer had been snapped.

She tried to open the door, but it was jammed. It took several hard tugs to pop it free from the twisted frame. Inside she could see the large holes in the roof.

It took her a moment, but she came to the conclusion that one of the GD-42s must have done it. The leg had come through the trailer, the upper part of the leg moving much more than the lower, carving up the roof. A second leg, than a third. Priss could picture it quite clearly. She always knew the 42s were designed for the sole purpose of making her life hell.

Her bathtub was shattered. The hot water heater broken beyond repair. There was no smell or hiss of gas, which was a good thing. Priss crossed the trailer and found the shut off valve for the water.

Her computer was destroyed, it looked like it had caught a round. Her keyboard was smashed, she saw pieces of it scattered around. The TV and stereo seemed to have survived, but she would not know until she tried to turn them on.

The old electric guitar she kept for practice was snapped in two. At least it wasn't the one she liked. Her bed had slipped part way off the sleeping shelf, the mattress had slid to the floor. Her clothing rack was also on an angle. Priss stepped over the mattress and took a good look at the clothes. There were several bullet holes in each garment.

"Great." Priss shook her head than dropped down to sit cross-legged on the mattress. "Just fucking great." She dropped her head into her hands. She was too tired to deal with it.

Looking up Priss noticed he samisen case, partially covered by the mattress. She reached down and pulled it out. Opening the case Priss was pleasantly surprised to see it had survived.

"Will wonders never cease." Priss pulled it out and placed it on her knees. She drew the bone pick over the strings.

Things were not so bad. She could borrow a van, get all her things loaded in without a problem, find a new place to live. No problem at all. She had the money after all, and prospects, more than ever before. One place was as good as another.

Priss suddenly stopped her picking at the samisen. She had just lost her home. She had not spent so much time in one place since her parents had died. Yet she thought it was not a problem.

She picked at the strings again, calling forth music that was foreign to the instrument in her hands.

"The adrenaline high is where I live, but it burns me out leaving nothing to give," Priss sang softly. Her words. Her song.

"Live fast, love hard, die young," Priss whispered to herself, wondering how many times she had said those words, had lived them. "But what if you don't die young. Burned out, nothing to give. I'm only twenty," she mouthed the last, not making a sound.

Suddenly Priss knew she wanted something more than what she had. She wanted a life she could be proud of, that her friends could be proud of, that her parents could have been proud of.

For the first time Priss wondered if Mamoru, Sylvie, Anri, all the others were the lucky ones. She did not like thinking that way. It terrified her. She did not know what to do.

The music that came from the samisen was haunting and sad as Priss sat upon the mattress, wondering where her life was going to take her.

She shook her head and put the samisen back into its case. She got up and walked to the centre of the trailer, stepping around the holes in the floor. Priss pulled her cel phone from her jacket pocket and stared at the keypad for a time before tapping in a number.

* * *

_"When someone gives you their opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even if it is worthless. If you don't, he will not tell you the things he has seen and heard about you again. It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way"  
_**-Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	17. Flash Powder 11

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 2 of 5)  
Flash Powder (Part 11 of 11)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.  
The Garden, written by Ezra Pound (1885-1972)

Quincy stood in front of the windows of his office, looking out over the city. He had his hands crossed over the head of his cane. As usual he did not seem to be supporting himself with it. His back was to the two women standing near the doors. They were waiting for him to acknowledge them.

"Do either of you have any idea what Rathen might have been after?" he asked, not bothering to face them.

"No sir," both women said at once, surprising each other.

"There is too much he could have been after," Katherine said.

"If you had to guess."

"Sir, if I had to guess I would say he was after either information on the boomer's AI or the OMS. They are the only things that are unique to the Towers' computers. What do you think Madigan-san?" Domino asked, being political.

"I would tend to agree with Odotte-san. Any other information might have been easier obtained elsewhere."

"We now know for a fact that Aphros was involved in the actions that brought us and Hou Bang into conflict. I do not think this is company policy though. We have let the family know that Mr. David Frost may not be working in their best interest, which seems very likely. I suspect his family will remove him from his position, and do a full investigation. I think we will learn something of value if we watch."

"Do you think Rathen was working with the people within Aphros that you suspect may be behind this?"

"So far we have not found a link," Domino admitted. "That does not mean it is not there."

"If there is one we should know soon," Katherine stated.

"We should also keep in mind that it might all be a blind to distract us from something even bigger, just like the terrorist activity was meant to distract us from Rathen," Domino said.

"You two will be on this, it is your primary concern. Work separately but keep in contact so that you do not get in each other's way. Do not let any of your other duties suffer," Quincy told them.

"Yes sir," they both said.

"Madigan-kun, you may go now."

"Yes sir." She backed up to the door, bowing before she left the room.

"Odotte-kun, has your Doctor discovered anything new about Rathen?"

"No, I am sorry."

"I want you to handle the Aphros problem. Whether their actions were company policy, or just the actions of a few, they need to be punished. If this was company policy, I want them destroyed."

"I understand."

Quincy nodded. "You may go."

Domino backed out of the room and bowed deeply before leaving the room. Quincy watched her go then turned around to look out the widows again. He was playing a potentially dangerous game but he truly believed that he could not lose, and would come out stronger for it.

* * *

Priss had rolled the rear door of the trailer up, and had begun tossing things out. That's how she started it, figuring out what she did not want to keep. There was a lot of it. That was primarily because most of her possessions had suffered damage to one extent or another.

By the time the black mini-van pulled up near the end of the trailer Priss had finished getting rid of what she was not going to keep and had moved on to packing what she would.

Nene opened the door and climbed out of the van. "It sure was wrecked," Nene said, looking at the damaged trailer.

"Really, I hadn't noticed," Priss said, putting a box down at the end of the trailer. "Start loading things into the van."

"Hai," Nene said, walking over to the trailer. She picked up the box, shifted it about so it was balanced, then walked to the back of the mini-van. After placing the box on the ground she opened the rear door, then put the box in the back.

As Nene moved the taped boxes into the van she found herself curious as to what might be in them? What little parts of Priss' life they represented? She would have liked to open them and look through them, even though she knew she would never do such a thing. It would be wrong to pry in such a way, and Priss would kill her.

It did not take long to finish loading the van. After shifting everything to the end of the trailer, Priss started to help Nene in the loading. She handled all the heavy things, like her tool kits, while Nene took care of the lighter things.

Finally Nene closed the rear of the van up, slamming the doors closed.

"Sylia give you any trouble when you asked to borrow this?" Priss asked.

Nene shook her head, then smiled. "I did not actually ask. I left a note, so she won't think it was stolen."

"Maybe we can get it back before she even realises you borrowed it." Priss walked over to the ramp that led up into the trailer. She kicked aside a pile of clothing, then looked up into the place she had called home. It looked empty, deserted, just another piece of junk to be cleared away.

"Where are you going to stay?" Nene asked.

Priss looked back at Nene, a little surprised by the question. She had not given it much thought. "I don't know. Maybe a hotel."

"Well, if you want, there's a spare room at my place."

"What?"

"We have a spare bedroom, and you can use it, if you want."

"Maybe you should ask your parents first," Priss said, a little bite to her voice.

"Actually, making this offer was not entirely my idea," Nene admitted.

"Pardon?"

"I got a call from my mother when I was getting the van. I told her what I was doing and she told me to let you know you could stay at the house if you wanted to."

Priss shook her head. It was a crazy idea, more than crazy, it was just stupid. She looked over at her trailer again, wondering where she was going to go next. "Yeah, sure, why not."

"That's what I told her and..." Nene stopped and looked at Priss. "What?"

"I don't feel like trying to find some place to stay right now. As I figure it, I'll have cleared out of your place in a few days. I need some place for a day or two. Your place is cheaper than a hotel. I'll follow you." Priss said, walking towards her bike.

Nene remained still for a moment, then turned and walked towards the van. She had not expected that.

* * *

Priss had only seen the outside of Nene's house, and had never given it much attention. It was a bit larger than most of the other houses in the area, with a bigger yard. The grass was brown, and the tree in front of the house bare. Nene backed the van into the driveway; Priss pulled her bike to a stop by the curb.

There was a small shed in the backyard, which was appropriate as the backyard itself was very small. Nene unlocked it and they placed most of the boxes in there. Then Nene helped Priss carry the rest of it into the house.

The spare room was a ten tatami mat room with two closets. Nene opened the largest, showing Priss the futons and other bedding.

"I guess that is it," Nene said, walking over to the windows and sliding back the shoji screens, letting in the sunlight. "That bathroom at the end of the hall has a shower, the ofuro(bath) is downstairs, near the washer and dryer. It's empty right now, but you could fill it if you want."

Priss nodded. "Thanks," she said, looking around the room. It was all so suburban to her. She had not been in such a situation since... Since... Well, for a long time. "I think I'm just going to pass out for now."

"Me too," Nene yawned.

"Don't you have to go to work?"

"Yes, but with the way they have been bouncing me around, no one is likely to know where I am anyway."

"Lucky for me I guess. Again, thanks."

Nene only smiled, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Priss walked to the windows and looked out the street. She had had a view similar to this long ago in her parents' house. Shaking her head she closed the shoji blinds. She moved the kotatsu(table) to the side of the room, then pulled a futon from the closet, laying it on the floor. A pillow and a comforter followed. Priss stripped down to her underwear removed her bra, then put a T-shirt on.

Laying down on the futon, she pulled the comforter over her.

* * *

Domino sat at her desk, a palmtop computer in her hands, looking over D's reports. D sat on the opposite side of the desk, waiting for Domino to finish.

"Very good," Domino said, removing the disk from her computer and placing it on her desk. "Make sure the police get the information connecting the Neo-Ludite's fund raising operations with Prometheus Bound's operating budget."

"I will."

"I want you to consider a way to hurt Aphros Industries. I have a few ideas of my own, but I want to hear what you think."

"I'll have a basic report for you in a few hours."

"Good. Furthermore, I'm putting our new guest in your hands for now. If she proves loyal, I would like to have her as one of our operatives. She could be of great use. If she will not be of use, we will dispose of her."

D nodded. "May I ask something?"

"What?"

"Where did you get such a body?"

Domino smiled. "Three of the first Generation designers tried to go into a related business of their own. They built several young models. Genom found out and dismissed two of them, and transferred the third because she had talent. Their work was put into storage. Miss Lin was rather lucky. There were models that looked even younger."

"But then she would not have been such a useful operative," D pointed out.

Domino nodded. "If she is willing to work with us."

"Are you thinking about giving her an older body?"

"No," Domino said simply. "Rebecca Lin chose to attack Genom for personal reasons. That cannot be left unpunished, even if Miss Lin is now dead."

"Rather hard."

Domino only nodded.

* * *

Linna pulled on the new ankle high boots she had bought over her lunch break. She stomped her feet down to get them on properly. She liked the way the soft, light brown, kidskin looked. She stood up, taking a few steps. She did not care for the way they rubbed against the blisters she had got from dancing. Kikuchi-sensei could be a monster at times.

Grabbing her bag Linna headed out of the theatre, wondering what she was going to have for dinner. Maybe she should go to Sylia's to see if there was the possibility of a victory celebration. Then again, perhaps she would just go home and pass out for the rest of the night. At least things had finally clamed down in the city.

She stopped when she caught site of the limousine parked outside of the stage door. Reika was standing beside it.

"Need a lift," Reika said to her.

"Sure." Linna walked to the limo. "I thought you'd be gone by now," she said.

"So did I, but things change," Reika pulled the door open. Linna got in.

"Where's Kou?" Linna asked.

"Taking care of a few things." Reika got in the car and pulled the door closed. "The hotel." She told the driver.

"You seem up," Linna said.

"I decided to go on tour soon. I should have the album done in two or three weeks, then it is off to Sydney for the opening leg. It's going to be insane for a while." Reika smiled.

"Good luck." Linna was glad Reika seemed to be feeling better.

"Thanks. I'll be needing it. It will be incredibly hectic for the first two months or so but after that everything should fall into place. I hope."

"If you come to MegaTokyo can I get a free ticket to your show?" Linna asked, making a joke of it.

"Actually I'm hoping that won't be necessary."

"How so?"

"Well, while the initial shows will be a little bland I want to add some choreography to the mix early on and then there will be the videos and I could use a personal trainer."

"Wait a second. Are you offering me a job?"

"Yes. I was talking to Kikuchi-san..." Reika began.

"You talked to her?"

"Yes, she told me you would be able to do a good job for me."

Linna leaned back in her seat. "Why me?"

"Admittedly there are a number of other people who could do as good as job, if not better due to greater experience."

"What makes me special?"

"You would be the only one I could talk to about certain things." She paused. "Kou is too close. You were Irene's friend, I'm hoping you will be mine as well. I think you will do a good job and this could really help your career."

"It would," Linna admitted, considering everything Reika had said.

"You would have to leave MegaTokyo though, and it would be at least a year before the tour was over."

"I'd have to say goodbye to a lot of friends," Linna said. Reika knew what she meant.

"I don't want you to do this if you don't want to. It's a job offer. I won't be offended if you turn it down."

"I'll really have to think about this. I mean it's been my dream, and what you are offering is very tempting."

"You have about four weeks. I will have to have an answer by then. Sorry if it seems a bit of a rush."

"No, that's fine. I should be able to give you a decision by then," Linna told her.

"How about I treat you to dinner. The restaurant at the St. Regis is rather nice. We can talk over details, like salary and contracts."

"Okay, we can at least talk about it," Linna said. She was wondering how she was going to be able to turn Reika's offer down. Or even if she could.

* * *

Sylia took a drink from her wineglass, thinking about what she had found out over the past several hours.

She had come to the conclusion that Genom's security had been breached the night before. She had no real proof but security in and around the tower had the feeling of people trying to set a good impression after being caught with their pants down.

All she had to do was find out why. Not an easy thing but it was very important, she was sure of it. Something about the past few day's activities had caused her internal alarms to sound. Something was wrong. Or at least she felt that something was wrong.

Turning her attention away from that, she switched to financial concerns. Full payment had been made to her account in Switzerland. Reika Chang had, however, cut the bonus she had promised, were they to retrieve the AF-5, by half.

Sylia suspected that it had something to do with her leaving the matter in Genom's hands after dealing with it. While she understood why Reika might be upset over that, she also felt that the Knight Sabers had done all that was requested of them.

She would make a polite request that the bonus be paid in full, through an intermediary of course, before taking action. In this case action was informing the mercenary community at large about Hou Bang's, and their representative's, actions.

Most Mercenary groups had something like honour, especially when it came to other groups not getting paid what they deserved. It set a bad precedent.

If possible Sylia would do what she could to avoid doing that. It created bad feelings all around.

Even without the full bonus, the Knight Sabers came out very well. Repairs would be a minor expense, though she was going to have to purchase replacement ammunition, and that was always expensive. Perhaps she would have enough funds to begin work on her own improved motoslave design.

Normally she might just transfer the money from one of her other businesses, but as several taxation agencies were taking too close a look at those businesses, that was not a viable course of action.

Well, eventually they would lose interest. For now she'd wait them out and take care of other things. It was not as if she did not have a number of other things to occupy her attention.

* * *

Domino sat across the table from Devon, in a private room in one of the better restaurants in the city.

"So, you have been busy," Devon said, picking up a wineglass.

"Business as usual," Domino told him.

"True enough. I'm glad to see that the Company is in good hands. Care to tell me what we are facing?"

Domino took a drink of her wine, looking thoughtful. "It is a rather confusing situation. That Aphros Industry took part in starting the conflict between Genom and Kyuusei Industries is fact. There are few reasons they might have done this, however. What is also not so clear are the events within the city. We have tied them to Rathen-san, but we do not know why he acted as he did."

"I see. Are you sure he was not still working, secretly, for G&B?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps he was working on his own then."

"To what end?"

"I'm sure that you will find the answers you are looking for," Devon said.

Domino nodded, then picked up the wine bottle and filled his glass before filling her own.

"So Domino-san, other than your problems, how are you?"

"I'm well," she told him. "Busy, but I do not mind that."

"If you are busy then perhaps I should not invite you to dinner so often." He smiled at her over his wineglass.

"You need not worry," she said. At the same time she kicked off her right shoe and put her leg out, running her foot along his leg.

Devon calmly placed the glass on the table and looked at Domino. "My dear Domino-san, I am an old man."

"Not so old," she said, lifting her foot so her toes brushed his knee.

"Old enough. And while flattered, I am not interested."

Liar, Domino thought, but did not say. "I suppose there is nothing to do then," she sighed.

"No." He smiled, then looked thoughtful for a moment. "You would not happen to have a uniform would you?"

"Genom office lady or high school?" Domino asked him, matching his smile.

"High school."

"No, but I'll get one tomorrow."

* * *

"You'll get back to me about the offer?" Reika asked.

"I will," Linna told her. "Soon."

"Good." Reika looked thoughtful for a moment. "I want to thank you for everything, for the help, and the words, all of it."

"Don't mention it. Irene would have wanted me to do so. And I was glad to."

"Thank you, for that as well."

"Take care of yourself. I'm looking forward to your new album."

"I'll send you some advance copies, for you and your friends. I'll even autograph them." Reika smiled.

"That would be very nice."

Reika looked over her shoulder at Kou. He stood near the escalators that led down to the departure gates and passport control. "I have to leave now. If we miss our take-off time the tower will give us no end of grief over it."

"Have a nice flight. Oh." Linna opened her purse and removed a small, paper envelope with a red and white cord tired to it. "An omamori, safety during travel. A souvenir." She held it up.

Reika reached out and took the charm. "I'll need this. I'll be doing a lot of travelling."

"That's what I thought."

Reika bowed to Linna, "Goodbye."

"Sayonara," Linna said, returning the bow.

Reika straightened, then turned and walked to Kou. He nodded at Linna, then matched Reika, stepping onto the escalator right beside her. Reika looked back as she seemed to sink below the floor and waved at Linna. Linna waved back, then Reika was gone.

Linna moved to the windows of the departure floor and looked out on the landing field. Some distance away she saw a small, private jet, lit by spotlights, a ground crew working on it. A few minutes later a cart drove out into the pool of light around the jet. She could see two figures get out. While she was not able to see them clearly, she knew they were Kou and Reika.

Once they had boarded and the ground crew moved away, the spotlights were shut off. The plane's running lights came on. Not long after that the plane began to move, taxiing to its runway.

Linna watched as long as she could see the plane. It went out of her sight at one point, but she stayed and was rewarded by the sight of its take-off.

The lights soon faded into the dark sky. Linna turned and walked towards the exit. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

Soon the Kyuusei Needle was over the Pacific, heading north, keeping close to land. It would use the Aleutian Islands to cross to the North American Continent, then fly down the coastline of North America. It would be a long journey.

Reika and Kou arranged their seats so they were facing each other, a table between them.

"How do you want to handle the request from the Knight Sabers?" Kou asked her.

"They basically turned our property over to Genom. I will not reward them for that."

"True, but we did get everything back, less a few pieces we were not even aware were missing."

Reika sighed. "I'm sure it was Genom that gave McNichol-kichou that evidence."

"So you are angry at Genom. Understandable. Don't let that colour your judgement with the Knight Sabers. If mercenaries, and similar groups begin to think that we might not honour our agreements we may lose their services."

"What, do they have a union?"

Kou smiled. "Word gets around."

"Fine. We'll pay them the entire bonus, less 1 yen."

"I'm sure that will send the message you want."

"Do we know who put Louise up to her attempt on Grandfather's life?"

"Not yet."

"It was Genom," Reika stated.

"No doubt, but we may not be able to prove it."

"Do we know how it was done?"

"She has a drug problem. There was some blackmail involved. They were levers used to make her make the attempt," Kou told her.

"What is Grandfather going to do with her?"

"What would you like him to do?" Kou asked her.

"I'm not sure. I'm very angry with her. She let herself be used. That's uncharitable though."

"I'm sure that your Grandfather will do all he can to help her."

"He would," Reika said fondly.

"What about Aphros Industries?" Kou asked.

"Would Genom use the same trick as was used on us? Make us go to war with them?"

"No. It is not a wise strategy. It has the possibility of making allies where you would rather not have them."

Reika thought about it for a time. "I'm sure that it will be up to Grandfather and his advisors, but the report that we were sent suggest that it was not the entire company but a small faction within it that was behind what happened. I'm not sure we have to do anything."

"No," Kou shook his head. "We cannot ignore this."

"But..."

Kou held up his hand. "We were hurt by this. If we do nothing, it makes us look weak. We will have to strike back at Aphros for what they did. We will do it in a way to make sure they know what they are being punished for. We cannot do otherwise."

"Can't we handle this more diplomatically?"

"That would invite attacks on us, which in the end would be more costly to everyone. This is for the best."

Reika closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. "I'll be so happy when I'm touring again."

* * *

It was late when Kaneko Akamura returned to her apartment. She was actually feeling tired. A very good sign that she had really pushed herself. She opened the door of her apartment, kicked her shoes off in the genkan, then stepped up into the apartment.

She took off her coat and was moving it towards the coat rack next to the door. She paused, looking at the rack. She did not remember the black, leather, long coat that hung there. She let her coat go, spinning about, at the same time drawing her pistol from its shoulder holster.

Moving quickly, very quickly, she dove, rolling across the floor, coming up in a crouch in a corner, the wall to her back. The muzzle tracked with her eyes as she scanned the room. Sitting on her couch was a woman. She stared directly at Kaneko, seemingly unconcerned that a pistol was pointed at her.

She had long black hair; some of it piled up on her head, and two strands hanging down over her ears. She was dressed in a black evening dress, a gold chain around her neck. It was not the look that Kaneko would have expected from an intruder.

"Who are you?" Kaneko demanded.

"Odotte Domino," the woman said in a calm tone.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to speak to you Lieutenant Akamura."

"About what?"

"About the fire boomers you are investigating," Domino said, getting to her feet.

"Don't move," Kaneko said.

"Please," Domino smiled condescendingly as she reached for her purse. "Shooting an unarmed individual is not something you would do," Domino said as she slowly reached into her purse and then removed a business card. She walked towards Kaneko, then held her card out towards her.

Kaneko reached forward and took the card, keeping the pistol ready and pointed at Domino. "Genom?" she said after she had glanced at it.

"Pleased to meet you." Domino smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"As I said," Domino turned around and walked towards the door, "I'm here to speak of the fire boomers."

"What about them?" Kaneko asked as she straightened up. Her pistol was no longer pointed at Domino's back, but she kept it ready, just in case.

Domino knelt down to pick up Kaneko's dropped coat. She straightened and then hung it on the coat rack. "What have you found out?" Domino asked as she took her own coat from the rack.

"I guess you'll just have to wait until I finish the report."

"Let me guess what you found then." Domino turned around, as the same time slipping the coat on. "You suspect that there was some programming added to the fire boomer. If you have a day or two you will be able to put together a report that should allow you to take a closer look at the programming. Then you might find something."

"You seem to have all the answers. Why come to me?"

"I just wanted to mention that the fire boomers save many lives and prevent terrible property damage every year. Do you really want to put a doubt into people's mind concerning these units? After all, it is not like there is a real problem here. A one time solution to a very bad problem." Domino turned and stepped down into her shoes. She opened the door and then turned on the apartment's threshold. "Perhaps it is like you said in the interview you gave today. Maybe the boomer just reacted to save lives and prevent fires in the only way it could." Domino stepped from the apartment and closed the door.

Kaneko stood where she was, then looked down at the card she had been given, reading the information there. Who was Domino Odotte, and why did she feel so familiar? And why did she know exactly what to say?

* * *

**February 17th, Friday, 08:20**

Nene adjusted the sash on her uniform, making sure it was placed right. She looked around, catching Naoko's eyes. She gave her a sad smile, and nodded. Naoko was still putting on her blouse. She smiled back, but it had she same, sad quality.

The locker room was much more crowded than normal. Women officers who usually wore civilian clothing were there, putting on their dress uniforms. She saw Asako Yamano sitting on one of the benches, attaching her new captain insignia to the uniform jacket-she had come up from the Tac squad lockers to borrow a needle and thread. Near by Kaneko Akamura was staring into a small mirror on the inside of her locker door. There was a far off quality to her posture.

Nene sighed and reached into the back of her locker's top shelf. She brought forth a black armband, a part of the ADP uniform that was used too often.

She slid it up her right sleeve, cinching it tight about her upper arm. Nene took her coat from the lockerit also had black band on the sleeveclosed the door, then turned and walked towards the exit. She stopped just before leaving to look at herself in the full-length mirror mounted on the wall. Reaching up, she straightened her tie, then turned and left.

"Oi, Nene-chan," she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Leon-san," she said, turning towards him. She smiled slightly, noting he was dressed in his uniform. Leave it to Leon to look good in one. Of course so did Daily. Such a shame about him. It was one of those things in life that Nene thought was very unfair.

"Glad I caught up with you."

"Why?"

"Well, I think it proper that you show up to the parade with the proper rank on."

"What?" Nene asked, looking down at her collar badge.

Leon walked up to her and reached out, removing the rank badge, officer, from Nene's collar. "Sometimes, you can be quite useful."

"Thank you," Nene said sarcastically. "What are you talking about, and what are you doing."

"Here, do something with this," he put the rank badge in her hand.

"Be careful what you say," Nene told him as she put the badge in her pocket.

Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out two collar badges. "Congratulations. You've been promoted, Sergeant Romanova." He reached out and clipped one of the badges onto her collar.

"What?"

"With the promotion comes an increase in pay, of course." He pinned the other one on her opposite collar. "Also, since communications does not need any sergeants, you will be transferred to my squad."

"Wait, I'm not trained for front line combat!"

Leon laughed softly. "I don't need you for that, but thanks for offering. What I need is a computer operator and communications specialist that I can use whenever I want without having to go through Madoka-san. Now, at this point you say thank you."

Nene looked up at Leon for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you Leon-san."

"Don't mention it Nene-chan. You mostly earned it."

The door to the women's locker room opened. Nene looked back, seeing Naoko and two other women from the communications section come out. "Where should I go now? Should I go with you?"

"Stay with coms for the rest of today," he told her. "It will give you a chance to show off your new rank and take care of any remaining business."

Nene nodded. "Thank you," she said, then turned and walked back towards the others.

Leon smiled at her back then turned and headed down the hall. It was nice that some good things might happen today, he thought.

* * *

Nene, like many of the other ADP personnel, took ADP transport to the marshalling area for the parade. She was in one of the Mini-vans, with seven other women from communications. More than half of the ADP's personnel was going to be there. SDF personnel had been called in to take over the ADP's duties, using the ADP's equipment, for the parade's duration. It had been done before. It would probably be done again. SDF MPs were also taking over certain duties for the other police forces in the city.

It was going to be a large parade.

Two parking garages near the marshalling ground had been given over to police use. Black and white police vehicles were pulling into the garages, the mini-van joined a line of vehicles waiting to enter.

Not long afterwards the van was parked and Nene and her friends were taking the stairs down to street level.

They had to walk a few blocks to where the police units were forming up. At the head of the parade would be a small fleet of vehicles, each bearing several wreaths on which pictures were placed. The photographs were of the officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty on the night of the fifteenth and morning of the sixteenth.

Officers on motorcycles would flank the cars. Behind the cars would march the ADP, followed by the Tokyo Police, followed by the THP. Bands would march between them.

As Nene moved into place she noted that there was a band just in front of the ADP. She had heard about it, but had not quite believed it.

The CBC camera crew had arranged it through the Canadian Embassy, as a sign of respect, and a thank you.

Nene had never seen a pipe band in person, as it were.

Tall soldiers dressed in kilts, Highlanders, she had been told. Visiting the American base up in Amori, they had driven all night to get there for the parade. It was a very kind gesture.

Soon everyone had fallen in and the various units of police were called to attention. The fairly soft commands used by Leon, who had taken the command role, contrasted sharply with the bellowed commands from the pipe band's Sergeant Major. The foreign language echoed off the walls and remained for a time.

That was nothing to the sound of the pipes. The strange, wailing music seemed so fitting for the day. The drums provided a steady beat, making it nearly impossible for anyone who could hear them to get out of step.

And so they started, marching down the street towards a monument and shrine to Tokyo's Police.

At times Nene thought she saw people she knew out of the corner of her eyes. At one point she was certain she saw Priss. The parade route was lined with people, there to pay their respects to the fallen officers, or just for the spectacle of it all. There were even some Genom officials, there to pay their respects. That always upset some officers and Nene could hear angry mutterings even over the sound of the pipes.

At the monument prayers were offered up for the dead, and for the hope that there would never be any other officers lost. The wreaths were taken from the cars and put on the grass that surrounded the monument as the names were read out. There were so many.

Then a group of officers, carrying old, bolt action riflesloaded with blanksmarched out and began firing volleys into the air, a final salute to the fallen officers.

And then they were dismissed.

The police officers walked down the road they had just marched up, in small groups, often talking about lost friends. Nene and a few of the other women from communications found themselves among the Highlanders, who, truth be told, were trying to pick them up. They were very polite about it, it was a funeral service in a way, but that is what they were trying to do.

Nene was polite, but as cute as they were, and they were, she did feel like she was involved with Kaoru. Naoko had no such problems and attached herself to a tall, cute blonde with an infectious laugh and just enough Japanese to get by.

* * *

Domino had come to the area just to pick up the school uniform, that was what she told herself. She had taken the afternoon off after returning from the parade. While things were a bit hectic in the Tower, she felt her department could function without her for a few hours. And everyone deserved some time off.

She wore a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket. Her running shoes might have been white at one time. Dressed that way, her long hair pulled into a pony tail tied off with a white ribbon, she looked like she could be a senior high school girl skipping her classes.

It was not a look Domino had been consciously striving for, but when she looked in the mirror she was not displeased. It was nice to take a break from the Tower, and being treated as if she was seventeen was not so bad.

She again told herself she had only come to buy the uniform when she walked into LADYS633. No need to go to the Silky Doll, she told herself, even as she was walking towards it. As she walked into it she told herself that she just needed some lingerie to go with her power suits. She was amazed at how well she could lie to herself. Actually, that was not true, she was very poor at lying to herself. She knew exactly why she was there.

"Welcome," Sylia said as soon as Domino walked into the shop.

Domino nodded politely, then went straight to a rack of teddies, keeping her back to Sylia. It was not as easy as she had hoped. She was not sure what Mason had really felt about the woman, but she could not help but think about her. Such a clever and resourceful opponent. Domino already respected her.

Now she just had to see what else she might feel.

As she looked through the lace and silk creations, she occasionally would, surreptitiously, look over her shoulder. It seemed whenever she did Sylia was looking right at her, and smiling.

Calm down, Domino told herself. You've faced generals, members of the Diet, you've even faced Quincy. This is not that difficult. Just think of something to say to her.

Sylia watched Domino and quickly came to a conclusion about the girl. It was the wrong conclusion, but she had no way of knowing.

Having run the Silky Doll for a time, she had seen a lot of customers. The girl was probably looking for the right article for someone special. And given her age, it was likely her first time. Sylia smiled as she walked towards the girl. That was one of the nice things about running the Silky Doll, it gave her a unique break from the rest of her life.

"Excuse me, but could you use some help?" Sylia asked.

Domino turned, surprised to find Sylia standing so close. Part of her wanted to slam the cover down on her emotions, but she quickly realised that was over-reacting. Think of something clever to say! "I'm looking for something," Domino said. How was that clever?

Sylia smiled. "While these," she ran her finger through the garments, "are, in their own way beautiful, I don't think they are what you want."

"They're not?" Domino asked, a little confused.

Sylia smiled and gently directed Domino to a nearby rack. She took one of the garments from the rack. It was a gown, of a blue green silk, with thin shoulder straps and a little lace over the bodice. "I think you would find this much more comfortable," Sylia said. "It does not have an excess of lace, which can be uncomfortable, and the silk is very pleasant against the skin." She held it up, close to Domino. "This colour will bring out your eyes I think."

"I see," Domino said.

"Of course silk might be too expensive. We do have some synthetic fibres that are almost as good."

"The silk will be fine, thank you," Domino said, keeping her voice even. Smile, she told herself, and she did.

Sylia nodded. "Very good. Come, we'll get this wrapped up for you."

Domino followed after Sylia, and watched as she placed the garment in box, then closed it. She began to tie it shut with a ribbon. She found herself fascinated by the quick, sure way her fingers moved. Stingray-hakase had done things the same way.

"In her is the end of breeding," Domino said softly as she took removed several thousand yen from her purse.

"Pardon?" Sylia looked up, finishing with the ribbon even as she did so.

"What?" Domino asked. Had she said that aloud? Obviously so. "Oh, it's just a line from a poem." She put the money on the counter.

"I see," Sylia said, reaching under the counter for a bag.

"A friend told it to me," Domino said, thinking she should add something. "Would you like to hear it?"

Sylia put the box into the bag. Strange girl, she thought, but she was curious. "Yes."

"It's in English."

"I'll manage," Sylia said, smiling. She took the money and counted it.

Domino thought about it, remembering D's words.

_"Like a skein of loose silk blown against a wall  
She walks by the railing of a path in Kensington Gardens,  
And she is dying piecemeal of a sort of emotional anaemia._

_"And round about there is a rabble  
Of the filthy, sturdy,  
unkillable infants of the very poor.  
They shall inherit the earth._

_"In her is the end of breeding.  
Her boredom is exquisite and excessive.  
She would like some one to speak to her,  
And is almost afraid that I will commit that indiscretion."_

Domino finished and did not say anything else.

"That is very beautiful," Sylia said after a moment. She placed a tray with Domino's change on the counter.

"Do you think so?" Domino asked, reaching out to take the bag and her change.

"Yes."

"I'm glad I could tell it to you then," Domino said, smiling. She bowed slightly to Sylia, then turned and walked from store.

Strange girl, Sylia thought, realising she had forgotten to thank her for visiting the store. Well, hopefully next time.

* * *

**Cultural Notes**: Tatami mats - Tatami mats are thick matting made of straw. When new they are green, but fade in sunlight and over time until they are a golden brown. They cover the floors in the living areas of Japanese houses. They are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and have a wonderful smell.

As tatami mats are all the same size (mostly) a room's size is often described in the number of tatami mats that cover the floor.

_"That I have practised the art of calligraphy stems from the fact that I once noted with embarrassment how well a certain lady wrote her characters"  
_-**Shiba Yoshimasa**


	18. Satisfaction For A Sin 1

_From stone to bronze, from bronze to steel  
Along the road-dust of the sun,  
Two revolutions of the wheel  
From Java to Geneva run._

_The snarl Neanderthal is worn  
Close to smiling Aryan lips,  
The civil polish of the horn  
Gleams from our praying finger tips._

_The evolution of desire  
Has but matured a toxic wine,  
Drunk long before its heady fire  
Reddened Euphrates or the Rhine._

_Between the temple and the cave  
The boundary lies tissue-thin:  
As yearlings still the altar crave  
As satisfaction for a sin._

_The road goes up, the road goes down-  
Let Java or Geneva be-  
But whether to the cross or crown  
The path lies through Gethsemane._

**From Stone to Steel by E. J. Pratt (1883-1964)**

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (1 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999)

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**February 23rd, Thursday, 13:45, MegaTokyo**

The events of the previous week, while certainly not forgotten, had been accepted as a one-time thing and most of MegaTokyo's population was letting life return to normal.

Amongst them were Genom, which had recently lowered its alert status to something closer to normal. With most of the members of Prometheus Bound, both in the city and all of Japan, rounded up, or killed, the company was willing to relax. Yoshiro Andrews was very glad for that.

He was considered by Genom to be a target, so there was always some sort of security around him. He also suspected he was not completely trusted. With the relaxed posture of Genom he was no longer confined to secure areas, nor followed by a C-class security boomer. He had decided to go out to a little coffee shop near the tower, drink overpriced lattes, and read all the boomer articles that had come out in the Journal of Science.

He had sent in a paper for the journal, but it had been rejected. They were going to put it in the next month's journal, however. Yoshiro felt that it was, in some ways, the story of his life. He never quite got up there with the greats. He was always in the back ground, for one reason or another. Perhaps it was the article by Sylia Stingray they had published that had bumped his. He thought, uncharitably, that the only reason Katsuhito's daughter was included was the Stingray name.

He flipped to the inside, front cover and read through the message from Justin Bestar. There was a man who was well known, and yet he hardly knew anything about the subject. He had been the money maker at MRAStech, a man who knew who to ask, how to ask and when to ask for resources. He knew the funding game well.

Whenever Katsuhito had had to go to some dinner, or some meeting, or whatever the bloody function was, Justin went with him. Half the pictures of Katsuhito Stingray showed him with Justin. Somewhere along the line Katsuhito's fame had rubbed off on Justin. Never mind the fact that Justin Bestar knew nothing of the programs that made the boomer what it was; never mind that he probably could not even begin to repair the simplest damage to a boomer; never mind that he spent more time out of the lab than in, when one was asked about the greats of boomer research, Justin Bestar was mentioned.

Yoshiro knew it was stupid to be jealous of the man, he knew that among those who truly understood the work, his own name would be mentioned before Justin's. It was that Justin's name would be mentioned at all that bothered him.

Yoshiro flipped back to the article he had been reading, on the use of boomers for space exploitationnothing new there reallyand took a drink of his coffee. When it came right down to it, Yoshiro felt unappreciated. He was very good at what he did, but no one ever seemed to notice.

That was why he had joined up with Mason, then worked with Largo, and had been willing to try once more with the Beta plan. He should have been part of a group that was going to change Genom, perhaps the world.

It had never worked out that way.

Katsuhito had never needed him, not really.

Mason had used him, but had never listened to his opinions.

Largo had come close to killing him, just because he was human.

Then there was Domino, in a way, part his creation. She ignored him. Any hopes that he might be able to blackmail her with the truth he knew had been dashed by D when she had brought him back into the Genom fold. Quincy knew who and what Domino was, and did not care.

Sometimes he thought that D might have lied to him, told him that to protect Domino. It was something she would do. If she was not lying, and he tried to blackmail Domino, he would be signing his death warrant, or worse. That he knew for certain.

Unwilling to take that chance, he remained silent.

He flipped through more of the pages, stopping to look over an article about new avenues of boomer research. That was another of his problems, he was not working with anything new. He had been put into areas where he worked to improve older designs. He was good at it, but there was no real glory in it.

Sometimes he wished he was involved in something larger.

"Excuse me, could you help me?" someone asked, in English.

Yoshiro looked up. He almost dropped his coffee cup. Standing near his table was a man, tall, with café-au-lait skin. Yoshiro might not have recognised him but for the voice. Without the breather he could now see the man's features. A strong face, not quite handsome, and dark blue eyes. He had not seen that man since he left Paris. Terrence Lecoix.

"What...?" Yoshiro began to ask.

"Can you help me? I don't speak Japanese and I am lost," he said, interrupting whatever Yoshiro had been about to say.

The question stopped Yoshiro and made him think. Blurting out a question that would make it obvious he knew this man might not be wise. "Yes, I speak English," Yoshiro said.

"May I sit down?" Terrence asked, smiling.

Yoshiro nodded. "Please."

He took a seat, placing several maps onto the table. "You see, I am trying to get to Roppongi."

"You're a bit off," Yoshiro said.

He smiled and nodded, then began to unfold one of the maps. "Could you show me where I am?"

Yoshiro leaned forward to look at the map. It was of MegaTokyo, with the train lines highlighted.

"Doctor, do not act nervous, do not do anything foolish," Terrence said softly. "Just act normal."

"You see, you are here," Yoshiro said, putting a finger on a place in the map.

"Ah, I see. It is so confusing," he said.

"Well it can be," Yoshiro nodded. "You want to go to this station here, and get on the Yamanote Line and take it to Ebisu."

Terrence leaned forward to look at it. "Your watchers are fairly relaxed, as long as you do not do anything odd, they are not going to take notice." He took a pen from his jacket pocket. "Do you mind?" he asked, smiling.

"Of course." Yoshiro took the pen and began circling the stations in question. "I'll write the kanji characters, and the hiragana, just in case," he said. "At Ebisu you get on the Hibuya line and continue to Roppongi."

"Thank you," he smiled. "My employers have been quite pleased with the work you did for us. It is unfortunate that you could not give us what we really needed."

Yoshiro's hands tensed, he smudged the kanji he was writing quite badly.

"We need some more help."

"I can't do anything for you," Yoshiro said softly, continuing his writing.

"Of course you can. We need all the information you can provide on the boomer AI system, the black box tech."

"I can't do that!" he hissed.

"Be calm doctor. Ask me if I want to just go to Roppongi."

"You just want to go to Roppongi?" Yoshiro asked in a normal tone.

"Well, actually, I planned on going to the New Tokyo Tower."

"Well, you'll have to continue on the Hibuya line one station past Roppongi to Kamiyachou." He began to mark that on the map.

"You can do it," Terrence said softly. "If you don't, Genom finds out about the help you gave us."

Yoshiro looked up, staring angrily at the man.

"Thank you very much," he said, beginning to gather up the maps. "You have been most kind. Can I perhaps buy you a coffee as a thank you?"

"That won't be necessary," Yoshiro said, fighting to keep his tone even.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Well, thank you. I'll remember this when my friends ask me about Japan. You are very kind." He smiled, then stood.

Yoshiro nodded, keeping a smiled pasted on his face.

Terrence turned and walked from the coffee shop.

Yoshiro forced himself to go back to drinking his coffee and reading the magazine, trying to appear as if nothing was bothering him.

How could he get them what they wanted? Katsuhito's research, the so-called back box items, which made his boomers the wonderful creations that they were, was something that Genom kept under the tightest security. How could he expect to get that?

If he did not get it though, what might happen to him? If Genom found out what he had done, he was certain that they would destroy him. And as he knew, death was only one of the options Genom had to use as punishment, and not the worst.

* * *

**February 27th, Monday, 14:32**

Since Nene had been promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Leon's section she had found herself busier than ever before. The nice thing about Leon though was he was happy with results. As long as she gave him everything he wanted, he did not concern himself with where she was during the day. It made skipping out of work so easy.

Skipping out on work was what she was currently doing.

Not that she wasn't working, she had a lap top on her knees, putting together a report Leon wanted on the sale of improperly recycled boomer parts and the parties responsible for it. While not all of the information could be used in a conviction, it would let him stop the trade in many cases.

She was not doing any hacking, or working on anything directly related to Genom. A wise precaution considering where she was.

The West Pillarthe Pillars were four office buildings, one on each compass point around the Tower. The sixth to ninth floors were home to the Genom Education Department. Nene was on the ninth floor, seated in the reception area, waiting for her appointment with the chief admissions officer for Genom Daigaku(university).

She had, more or less, promised Kate she would try for the University. Research had shown her that Genom Daigaku, Gendai, was an institution with a growing reputation both in Japan and abroad.

So, she had made an appointment to speak with the person in charge of admissions. Now she was waiting.

"Romanova-san," the receptionist called.

"Hai?" Nene looked up from her laptop.

"Koeda-san can see you now," the young man told her, smiling.

"Thank you," Nene said as she shut her computer off then closed it. She got to her feet and walked towards the desk.

A woman, a bit taller than Nene, looking to be in her mid forties, stepped out from an office as Nene approached. "Romanova-san, I am Koeda Junko, chief admissions officer for Genom Daigaku, please, this way," she said, indicating the office she had come out of.

Nene entered the office, Junko stepped in behind her, partially closing the door. The office was fairly large, the back wall a window, looking out at the Tower. Quite the view, Nene thought.

"Please, take a seat," Junko said, indicating the two leather chairs in front of her desk. As Nene did so Junko circled around her desk and took a seat behind her large, pine desk. "Just a moment," she said, smiling, then began to look through pile of printouts on her desk. "Romanova-san, you'd like admission into the Genom Daigaku, if I understand everything correctly."

"Hai." Nene nodded. "I'd like to write the entrance exam for the University."

Junko nodded as she flipped through some of the pages. She pursed her lips for a moment. "Well, your scores on the Central Exam are very good, and your grades from your high school, though a bit odd, are also very good. There is no reason that you should not have a chance to write the exam."

Nene nodded, then waited to see if the woman had anything else to add.

"You're currently employed with the ADP are you not?"

"Ah, yes," Nene said, a little confused. She was wearing her uniform after all.

"Do you plan to continue to work there after you start attending University?"

"No," Nene shook her head. "Would it be a problem if I did?" She wondered what the woman was saying. Would they not let her into the University because she was in the ADP?

"Not a problem as such," Junko said, smiling. It was a friendly smile. "We prefer that our students dedicate all their time to school work and avoid part time jobs. If they choose to pursue jobs, we allow them to, not that we could really stop them, but we often notice their marks suffer."

"I see," Nene said.

"Like most Universities in Nihon we realise that our students worked very hard in both junior and Senior high, and that University is seen as something as a time to kick back and relax. We try to allow them to do so, but we do expect a certain level of performance. A part time job, combined with school work and a social life is often too much."

She paused and took a breath. "I must admit, that with the antagonistic feelings that exist between Genom and the ADP, justified or not, having a part time member of the ADP attending the school might cause some unnecessary friction."

"I don't think the ADP would allow an officer to work in a part time fashion," Nene told her.

Junko stared at Nene for a moment, then laughed. "Yes, I suppose you are right Romanova-san. Well, now that that is out of the way, let's talk about the school, shall we?"

"Of course."

At that moment the receptionist entered the office, carrying a tray with him. He came up to Nene and placed a cup of green tea and a small plate of cookies on the table beside the chair that Nene was seated in.

"Thank you," Nene said.

"Don't mention it," he told her, then moved to place another cup and plate on Junko's desk.

She nodded at him, then he turned and left the office, bowing before leaving.

"Now," Junko took a drink of her tea, "Genom entered into the business, if it can be called a business, of education soon after its formation in its present incarnation. At the time it was one of the perks that Genom offered to attract as many potential employees as possible. A number of young people had families and were often worried about the quality of their education. By offering excellent education facilities and instructors, Genom was able to give them what they wanted at a very low price.

"Now, while Genom schools have always been private institutions, carrying a charge for attendance, the tuition fee is only ten percent of what similar institutions charge. In fact, just to let you know, Genom Educational operates at the largest net lost out of all divisions within the company." Junko smiled. "We are rather proud of that in a perverse way.

"Of course, that loss is used to offset gains made by other parts of the company, and the over all result is that money is made. If you end up taking any of the more advanced economics courses, assuming you gain admission of course, this will all be explained to you."

Nene nodded and took a drink of her tea. She picked up one of the cookies. They looked very good. It was nice to see that Genom did not skimp.

"Our expansion into the field of post-secondary education has only been part of the company's policy for a little over a decade. Before that we were involved in providing funding to various Universities and their research. The reason we decided to set up our own University was two fold at heart.

"We had a number of parents asking for it. They were very pleased with the quality of education that their children received while in Genom schools and were hoping it could progress beyond Senior High School.

"At the same time, roughly, we were beginning to see signs of burnout in many of our staff and researchers. It was suggested that moving them into teaching positions might be of help in dealing with the stress. It gives researchers a chance to work on projects that they might not have otherwise, and many of our executives took to teaching as well. It keeps them sharp, and while there is stress, it is not the same."

"What about making the students loyal to Genom?" Nene asked, unable to help herself.

"Of course, that is a benefit, but not our primary concern, well, not Genom Educational's primary concern. We wish our graduates to be well adjusted and well educated members of society. We want them to be a benefit to any company that might hire them or to any part of society that they find themselves in." As she talked there was something of a passion in Junko's manner.

"I see. I'm sorry," Nene said. The woman was obviously committed to her ideals.

"No need to be sorry. It is a valid concern. There are many people in Genom who would like to see Genom Educational churn out loyal workers who have been trained specifically to work for Genom. Fortunately those individuals do not have much, if any, say in the running of Genom Educational.

"Where were we?" Junko asked, then picked up her cup and took a drink.

"You were telling me that the school gave Genom employees a chance to deal with stress I think."

"Yes. Well, the school did give us what was wanted. The parents were happy, and the new professors enjoyed the change of pace. Four years ago we started adding Master Programmes to our course of study, and as of today offer Master level work for all undergraduate courses taught at Gendai. Two years ago we began to offer PHd courses as well.

"All things considered, Gendai can be considered a success. While the Nihon campus is the only one in existence today, we are hoping to set up other campuses world wide, one day."

"You have a growing reputation as a very good educational establishment," Nene said.

"We are happy about that. Now, when it was set up, we knew that is was going to be primarily a University for the graduates of a Genom SHS. It is the top of an escalator system. While we have space for students outside of that system, we do limit their numbers. Our first consideration has to be to the children of our employees. Of course, one accepted into Gendai, you are, in a way, considered to be an adopted member of the corporate family and are treated the same as any other student. That is one thing that we insist on."

"I'm glad to hear it," Nene said.

"I'm glad to say it. Now, if you wish to apply for acceptance you do have to write an entrance exam, and I have to admit it is terribly unfair. As an outsider you are expected to show a much higher level of performance than any student coming up the escalator. If you do pass though, Genom offers a full scholarship. An apology of sorts for asking you to attain a much higher level."

"I guess it is fair," Nene said, though she was not sure that she agreed. It all seemed too elitist to her.

"Not really. It is a rather elitist system in many ways. Oh, we are not only interested in academic performance. Any talents, artistic, athletics, and such are also considered. You did not mention them when you called us so I did not think you were applying in such a way, but if you have any such talents, please let us know."

"It sounds," Nene paused, not sure if she should say it, "like you are collecting the best and the brightest."

"That is exactly what we are doing. Genom, like any other company, needs the best and the brightest if it is to prosper and compete. If you gain entrance to Gendai it is hoped that you might work for Genom when you graduate, but we do not demand such a thing." She stopped and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "I think that is it. Do you have any questions Romanova-san?"

Nene though about it for a moment. What she had been told was enough for her to make her first decisions. "No, not right now. I would like to write your entrance exam, if I can." The difficulty of it was like a challenge to Nene. She wanted to pass it, just to show she could.

"Of course." Junko smiled. "You can write it any time you choose. Because we are near the end of the current school terms and approaching a brand new school year I would suggest writing it sooner than later, but you don't have to feel rushed."

"Sooner is fine," Nene told her. "Would the first of March be all right?"

"If that is when you wish to write it. The test does take all day."

"That is fine," Nene said, fairly certain she could get the day off. "Though if something comes up..."

"Rescheduling will not be a problem," Junko told her.

"Good." Nene got to her feet. Junko did the same. "Thank you very much," Nene said, bowing.

"You're welcome," Junko said, returning her bow, but not so deep. "You can make an appointment with Hita-san outside. He will be able to tell you everything you need to know."

"I will, thank you," Nene said, bowing once more before turning and walking from the office.

* * *

**February 28th, Tuesday, 22:07**

Sylia lifted the coffee cup to her lips, taking a small drink. As she placed the cup onto the saucer, causing them to chime softly, she noticed that she had left a small smudge of lipstick on the white porcelain. "Your choice of meeting places is improving," Sylia said, looking about the sixth floor, Ginza coffee shop.

Fargo smiled ever so slightly. "That name put me off. 'The Grind', I thought it was a strip bar."

Sylia almost smiled at that. "What is it you wish to talk to me about?"

"Some interesting things that have been happening. Genom recently got in touch with a mercenary company that may have been working in the city not so long ago." Fargo took a drink of his coffee. "Wants to repatriate a member."

"For some information?"

"Seems likely."

"Interesting. Anything else?"

"About Genom? Not really. Operations as normal. They are recovering quite well."

"As would be expected." Sylia turned the cup on her saucer one complete revolution. "What else?"

"News from abroad is interesting."

"Tell me." Sylia picked up her cup and took a drink.

"The belief is that Hou Bang went out of its way to take a deal away from Aphros Industries in Brazil. They basically cut off Aphros' cheap supply of titanium, which will hurt the company. It was also suspected, though in no way proved, that Hou Bang might be behind the fire that gutted their offices in Toronto."

"I see. Has Genom taken any actions against Aphros?"

"Not that anyone can tell."

Sylia nodded. "Anything else?"

"Want to go dancing?"

Sylia finished her coffee, placed the empty cup down, and then got to her feet. She removed a thousand yen bill from her purse, put it on the bar, then turned and walked away.

"Guess not," Fargo said.

* * *

Sylia took the elevator to the lobby, then left the building, crossing the road to the parking garage opposite. Her car was parked on the first level, near the gate. It did not take her long to get out on the road. 

Fargo's information was interesting. Some of it she already knew. Some of it was new to her. All of it was useful. It looked as if Aphros was, in some way, behind the trouble between Hou Bang and Genom. She wondered why Genom had not done anything, and why Hou Bang's actions, to date, were so minor?

There was more going on than Aphros Industries trying to cause trouble between Genom and Hou Bang. She would have to watch things. Perhaps she might learn something of value.

She stopped at a red light, behind several other cars. Keeping and eye on Genom and Aphros was just one of her concerns. She was still in the planning stages for her new motoroid, though it was progressing well. In a few days she hoped to start construction.

The light changed to green. Sylia waited until the car in front of her began to move then slowly let up the clutch.

There was the potential problem with Linna. Now that Reika Chang had made her an offer, Linna was deciding what she would do next. Sylia did not want to lose Linna, but could not think of a way to stop her, even if she was willing to do so.

Reika Chang, innocently enough, was giving Sylia problems.

She was still considering a possible replacement, and had talked to Priss about them, but they had yet to find anyone that would fit in well with the Knight Sabers. She had had a long list of potential candidates, but it was rapidly shrinking as she or Priss found some reason to reject them.

At times she was worried that she might be rejecting them for all the wrong reasons. She really did not want to replace Linna.

Sylia slowed the car down as she approached a yield sign. She would deal with it when she had to deal with it. Until then, she had plenty of other things to concern her.

* * *

**March 1st, 14:24**

Linna rapped at the door frame.

"Come in," she heard from beyond the door.

Linna slid the door open and stepped into the office. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Andrea looked up from her desk. "Please, have a seat." She indicated the folding chair that sat in front of her desk.

"Thank you," Linna said as she took a seat.

"Yamazaki-san, I'd like to tell you that I'm pleased with your progress."

"Are you going to tell me that?" Linna asked before she could think. She had discovered that she cared a lot about what Kikuchi-sensei thought about her.

Andrea looked at Linna curiously for a moment, then laughed. "All right, I guess I deserved that. No, this is not a play on words Yamazaki-san. I am quite pleased with your performance. One day, when you stop having to deal with so many outside considerations, you may be among the greats, for a time."

"For a time?"

"You can't dance forever. Age related problems often happen sooner for dancers. Don't worry about it though. The future will deal with itself. That is not what I called you in here for. I'd like to talk to you about the singer Vision, Chang-san."

Linna nodded.

"I must admit I was a little surprised when she called me. She is a friend of yours I take it?"

"Yes. I knew her late sister."

Andrea nodded. "Do you know why she is hiring you?"

Linna nodded. "She needs a friend."

"And you want to help her?"

"Yes," Linna said.

"Admirable. You will do an excellent job for her."

"Thank you," Linna said, a little sadly. It sounded so much like a dismissal.

"She on the other hand will not be so excellent for you."

"What?" Linna looked up at her teacher and employer.

"For what she requires, she will not need you to be better than you are now. It is unlikely that you will advance much while you are with her."

Linna said nothing for a time. "Are you telling me not to do this?" she asked after several seconds.

"No." Andrea shook her head. "I'm only making sure you understand your options and what they mean. You still have to make a decision, but I want you to make the right one, for yourself."

Linna sat back, thinking about that. For herself. What was right for herself? She felt she owed Reika something. She was not sure why, but she did not feel that she could turn her back on a friend who needed her.

"Think about it," Andrea said.

Linna nodded, recognising the dismissal. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Andrea told her.

Linna left the office, then leaned up against a wall, letting out a short sigh. It kept getting more and more confusing."

"Linna-san, hurry up," Mako Namura called out.

"What?" Linna turned towards the other dancer.

"We have to get our costumes fitted," Mako told her.

Linna had a confused look on her face, then shook her head. "Sorry, I forgot." She pushed herself away from the wall. "Let's go."

"So anything terrible happen in there?" she asked, looking back at Andrea's office.

"No, not really," Linna said as she began walking towards the theatre. "Do you ever think of moving on?" Linna asked.

"From here?" Mako asked.

"Yes."

"Of course, but it's hard to leave here. Kikuchi-sensei gets all this money from the government for keeping ancient traditions alive, and from corporations, so she does not let money concern her that much. This is more of a school than a dance company in many ways. I might not get a chance at fame while I am here, but I am getting very good."

"So you'd stay here?" Linna asked as they started up the stairs to the dressing rooms on the upper floors.

"Well, for a time. I want fame." Mako smiled. "If the perfect job came along, I might take it. As it is, I think I'll hang on for the current work we are doing, and one or two after that. Then I'll start looking. You can only dance professionally for so long, and if I want fame I'll have to start working on it."

"How long have you been dancing for Kikuchi-sensei?"

"Almost two years now. Most of her dancers stay on for two or three years before moving on. Why are you asking? Got a job offer?"

Linna stopped on the steps for a moment. "Maybe. It is hard to say." She started up the stairs again.

"Really? What is it?"

"A choreographers position."

"A technical advisor," Mako said, smiling.

"I guess," Linna said. She stopped in front of the door to the dressing room.

"Well, tell me what you eventually decide."

"I will," Linna said.

* * *

"Okay, let's try this again," Priss said. "Yuuko-san, come in fast again and I'll break a finger." 

"Which finger?" Yuuko asked, not particularly bothered by Priss' threat.

"Don't see that it will matter," Norio said. "She only knows three chords."

Yuuko smiled broadly at Norio and gave him the finger. "How about I have my boyfriend beat you up?"

"Shut up," Priss said good naturedly. "Now, once more, from the top. Takeshi." Priss looked back at her drummer.

He nodded, then began to drum out the beat.

A moment later Norio added his guitar to it, Priss followed, and Yuuko came in last. Very nice, Priss thought. Then she began to sing:

_"The tides of darkness are rising and rising real fast.  
They're rising real high and I fear they will last.  
There's an evil so seductive that it's calling to me.  
An evil so strong that it won't set me free.  
Went looking for answers, went looking for love.  
Found a gleaming steel fist in a black velvet glove."_

Priss let the rest of the band play giving them their chance to show off. She let her guitar swing back so it was not in the way.

_"They've corrupted my heart, they've corrupted my soul,  
My very life has been corrupt on the whole.  
I struggle in vain to set myself free,  
But the gleaming steel fist is crushing me._

_"Well I don't fear death," the rest of the band came in for 'death', punching it up.  
"but I do fear life," once again, the other band members added their voices to 'life.  
"And I balance my existence on the edge of the knife.  
The adrenaline high is where I live,  
But it burns me out leaving nothing to give."_

The music continued on for several more seconds before ending abruptly. The people cleaning the club, and getting it ready for opening clapped loudly. Priss smiled, then looked at the rest of the band and nodded. "That's what we are looking for."

"Does that mean I don't get my fingers broken?" Yuuko asked hopefully.

"This time."

"Very impressive," Kano said, clapping as he walked up to the stage. The Hard Rock Café was still closed and made a good rehearsal space for the band. "Care to tell me just what you plan to do tonight?"

"I want it to be a surprise," Priss told him. "You'll like it though."

"That's all very well to say Priss-san, but I would still like to have an idea to what my club will experience tonight."

"You'll find out with everyone else. Now leave us alone, we're trying to practice."

He shook his head, smiling, then turned and walked away.

"We need a less public place to practice," Norio said, playing a few chords on his guitar. "Not that this is Shinjuku Station or anything."

"It would help with the new stuff, especially if you want it to stay unknown." Yuuko said.

"Not a big worry, but admittedly I'd like a more private place." Priss nodded. "Give me some time to think about it. Okay, let's move on. Rock Me, from the top," she looked back at Takeshi who nodded and began on the drums.

* * *

Nene smiled as she walked through the lobby of the West Pillar. She had aced the test, she was sure of it. While she was not entirely sure that she wanted to attend Gendai, knowing that she could gave her a sense of satisfaction. 

She stepped out into a pleasant enough March day. The thick clouds, while obscuring the sun, were holding in the heat. She walked out of the lobby, through the front, glass doors, and out onto the steps. She was looking out at the city, the Tower behind her.

Nene zipped up her light coatit was warm, but not that warmand looked about her. The steps were wide, and on either side were large, stone dragons. Each of the pillars had similar guardian animals, looking out, away from the Tower. The dragons looked quite fierce.

She started down the stairs, passing by the security guards that stood at the base of the steps. Most likely boomers Nene thought, but was not sure.

From the sidewalk, she ran across the road, stopping suddenly to let a car go by, then crossed the rest of the road. As Nene walked along the sidewalk she considered what she might do next. Leon had given her the day off, but he wanted her to complete her report on the recycled boomer parts. If she worked hard, she could get that done in a few hours. That would give her a chance to see Priss play at the Hard Rock Café that night.

Turning at the corner, Nene continued towards the train station. She had to get home fast if she was to get all her work finished.

* * *

Kano stood near the front door of the club, looking out over the crowd. The Tokyo Hard Rock Café had become quite a fixture over its years in the city. It was a place where a number of performers had launched their careers, revitalised them, and even ended them-most often by retiring, but not always. 

All things considered, it had a history.

Kano had built on that reputation, making the club a success again. He had taken a lot of chances over the two years he had owned it. Tonight was just another of those chances. If Genom took a large dislike to him giving Priss this chance, then he would suffer. He was betting that Genom would not care.

The audience was an interesting mix, he thought, looking down at tables below him. Slummers who had seen Priss at Hot Legs, friends of those slummers, fans from Hot Legs, and people who were just interested in seeing a band they had not seen before.

There was a small crowd outside the club, people who just could not get in. A packed room was a joy to Kano. He just hoped the people milling around the outside of his club did not cause any problems. That sometimes happened.

He stopped looking over the crowd and shifted his attention over to the stage. Through the ear piece he had just been told that the band was heading for the stage.

The house lights went down, enough to let the audience know the show was about to begin. The buzz of conversation faded away as people became silent.

* * *

Priss looked back at Norio and winked at him. He smiled back. "Let's show them what we can do," Norio said. 

Priss nodded, then turned and walked out into the light.

The band walked out, stepping onto the lit stage. There were a few murmurs of surprise in the crowd, from long time fans who knew something was different, as well as people who had suspected something else from the band.

Priss had abandoned her trademark blonde wig. Her shoulder length brown hair was pulled back from her face with a white ribbon. Even with the knee length, tight, black skirt, the matching jacket and white blouse gave her the look of a professional woman rather than a rock musician.

The rest of the band was all dressed similarly. Norio was in a light grey suit, his long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Takeshi's suit was black, light brown hair combed back neatly instead of spiked up. Yuuko was wearing a blue blazer with a pleated, white skirt. Her hair was held back from her face with a set of tortoiseshell haircombs.

That they carried their instruments, except for Takeshi, was the only way that some of the crowd knew they were supposed to be the band.

Taking her place on centre stage, Priss reached back and activated the radio link on her guitar. She could hear the hum of the speaker stacks as the rest of the band activated theirs. She smiled, wishing she could see more than a blurry image of her audience. In her mind she could picture the look of surprise on their faces. With that thought she hit the stings of her instrument with a pick that shone like polished silver.

The audience was once again surprised. The music was not the hard, fast beat of rock, but something softer. More suited to a church perhaps.

Priss' voice, pure and clean, gave words and life to the music.

_"Yuuyake koyake no Akatonba Owarete mitano wa Itsu no hika"  
_(One time in the sunset's afterglow/Dragonflies I saw/Softly lulled on mama's back /Many long years ago.)

The audience stared, some opened mouth, as they listened to the singer on the stage. Almost all of them had memories of the song and the few that had never heard it recognised the reverence with which it was sung.

_"Yama no hatake no Kuwa nomi o Kokago nitsunda wa Maboroshika"  
_(One time climbed I up a high hill/Mulberries to pick;/Even many years after/Memory lingered still.)

_"Yuoyake koyake no Akatonba Tomatte iru yo Sao no saki."  
_(One time from the evening sky/To my bamboo pole/Crimson dragonfly of a sudden/Lighted like a memory there.)

When Priss finished she slid the pick in between the strings on the guitar. The rest of the band continued to play the soft, beautiful music, holding her audience entranced. She smiled again, everything going like she had planned.

Reaching behind her head she untied the ribbon and pulled it from her hair. Flicking her wrist she threw it into the air over her audience's heads. All the bodies and the stage lights created warm air currents that held the ribbon in the air. It floated towards the back of the room, twisting slightly, the air currents in the room giving it a semblance of life. More than one head turned up to watch it.

Priss hooked her index finger into the collar of her blouse and yanked down, popping three of the buttons off.

Freeing her pick from the strings she launched into a loud, fast, hard riff. After the slow, hymn-like music, the angry, punching rock was like acid on an exposed nerve.

Takeshi used his foot pedal to continue pumping out the new beat Priss had set while he put his sticks down and removed his jacket. He pulled off the tie he had been wearing then rolled up his sleeves. Retrieving his sticks he pounded out a fast beat on the snare and used the foot pedal for the high hats.

Norio kept playing as he kicked off his shoes, then stopped long enough to unfasten his belt, undo his trousers and let them drop. He was wearing shorts with the British flag emblazoned on them. Priss had almost refused to let him do it, feeling it was a bit too much. As he began to play again he kicked the pants from around his ankles.

Yuuko reached up to her left shoulder then pulled at the jacket sleeve. The already weakened stitches snapped and the sleeve fell. She repeated the process with the right side.

With her band behind her, Priss started in on her next song. She would give them one new ones.

_"Shadows dance on bone white concrete,  
and darkness rules the night.  
There's a patch of unknown waiting for me,  
at the top of this stair flight."_

Priss sang, her words painting a clear picture in the minds of her audience.

_"Well I'm terrified of this dark place,  
and I run in fear to hide my face.  
But the darkness has teeth and the darkness has claws,  
and it chews on my soul in its filthy maw."_

_"Footfalls echo off the buildings,  
as you run through the canyons of glass.  
Around you the city is deserted,  
and darkness is coming fast."_

Leaping back she turned her attention to her guitar, letting Yuuko and Takeshi pick up the chorus.

_"Well I'm terrified of this dark place,  
and I run in fear to hide my face.  
But the darkness has teeth and the darkness has claws,  
and it chews on my soul in its filthy maw."_

Priss moved out front again, hitting her strings hard, getting the sound she wanted.

_"Rain swept streets empty fast,  
as the darkness comes again.  
And like a lover it caresses my skin,  
oh, my soul once more knows pain."_

_"Well I'm terrified of this dark place,  
and I run in fear to hide my face.  
But the darkness has teeth and the darkness has claws,  
and it chews on my soul in its filthy maw."_

Priss let her guitar drop, the Fender swung towards the ground before the strap over her shoulder stopped its downward motion. As it swung behind her, the head almost grazing the floor, she grabbed the mike in both hands.

_"Stark white lights of death blind me,  
but shadows dwell behind.  
Between the devil and the deep black sea,  
My fate is so unkind."_

_"Well I'm terrified of this dark place,  
but I won't run in fear to hide my face.  
For the darkness has teeth and the darkness has claws,  
and it chews on my soul in its filthy maw."_

The music ended. A moment later the applause began. Priss waited a few moments, letting their adulation wash over her. It felt good. The she grasped her guitar, swung it up, and started with the notes of 'Mad Machine'.

* * *

Nene showed the bouncer the backstage pass that Priss had supplied her with. He let her through the door into the rear of the club. She walked up a short set of stairs, then down a darkened hallway towards an open doorway bleeding light into the corridor. 

Priss was leaning on a small table, a grey towel around her neck. Two hours of performing had soaked the overly warm clothes. She had discarded the jacket early on when, during one of the songs, she had put the guitar aside. Her long sleeved blouse was stuck to her with perspiration and was getting cold and uncomfortable. Her underwear felt even worse.

Unfortunately Norio and Takeshi had grabbed the only two showers in the club, which meant she had to wait. Yuuko had leapt off the stage as soon as they had ended, making directly for Leon. It must be love, Priss thought. She could see no other reason why Yuuko was not back stage, waiting for a shower.

She was ambivalent about having Leon around so much now that he was dating a member of her band, but at least Yuuko kept him from bothering her.

Nene ran to Priss, throwing her arms around her, ignoring the sweaty garments, hugging her.

"You were great Priss." Nene smiled up at her.

"I'm glad you liked the show." Priss laughed, returning Nene's hug for a moment. That she did so surprised her a little, but the show had gone so well.

Nene released Priss. "It's too bad Linna couldn't make it. Honestly, you would think she could be here."

"She has her own dreams."

"If I had known she wasn't coming I would have invited Naoko. It might have saved me some trouble."

"What?" Priss asked, using the towel to wipe at her forehead.

"All the people trying to pick me up."

"Ahh. No accounting for taste."

Nene smiled, not bothered by the insult. "Too bad Mackie was busy, I think he would have liked it."

"What, were you going to hand all the guys hitting on you off to him?"

"No, but maybe some of the girls."

"So that's the kind of people you attract. But would anyone take Mackie over you?"

"Are you saying that just because you know what an incredible hentai Mackie is, or because you really like me?"

"Guess." Priss pulled the towel over her head and began to rub it through her hair.

"Hmm, not that I care. You're just the sort my mother always told me to avoid." Nene said with mock anger. "Of course she was talking about boys."

"Are you suggesting something Nene-chan?" Priss placed a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder, giving her a look that could be considered threatening.

"What ever makes you think that?" Nene stepped back.

"Your penchant for foolishness perhaps? But I'll forgive you tonight."

"You really impressed everyone out there." Nene brought the original topic back.

"I hope so," Priss said, sounding distracted.

"So, what's next?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know, a party that will drag on till early hours of the morning more than likely. Want to come Nene-chan, hang around with an all new crowd?"

"I have to go to work tomorrow."

"So?" she asked knowingly.

"You do have a point, but not this time. Leon has been cutting me a lot of slack for the past few days, but not tomorrow."

"Oh well."

"Are you coming home tonight?"

Priss paused for a moment. Home. An innocent sounding word, but it packed a lot of weight. She was going to have to get out of that house as soon as she could. "No, I'll be crashing out real late. I'll pass out on a friend's couch and probably wander in after everyone has gone to work."

Nene nodded. "Maybe everyone can show up on Saturday night. You are here for a week right?"

"That is the plan."

Nene nodded, smiling.

A moment later Norio stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his shoulders and nowhere else. Nene spun to face a wall, a flush spreading across her face.

"Put some clothes on," Priss told him as she headed for the open door, undoing the remaining buttons on her blouse.

"Why?" Norio asked.

* * *

Sylia was up late. 

Part of that was because she and Mackie had been working on her new motoroid design. Part of it was that she had new information coming in from other information sources. There was also the fact that she needed to work with the New York stock exchange.

She sat at her computer, looking at all the information coming in. She sold ten thousand shares of a company she knew was about to go under. She bought five thousand of another that she suspected was about to be involved in a hostile take-over. She sold a large number of GovernmentAmerican governmentBonds she had been holding onto, then used the money to buy another twenty thousand shares of the company that was soon to be taken over.

She read the patterns, used insider information, and every now and then trusted to luck. It had proven to be a very successful method of attaining money, though most of it she could not easily touch. Her financial empire was well hidden, so well that she often had a lot of trouble getting at her own resources. A necessary evil in order to keep it all hidden, however.

Turning her attention away from the stock market, for a time, she looked at another screen. New information on Genom and Hou Bang, as well as Aphros. Both of the megacorporations were rebuilding from their losses, close to being back to where they were before everything started. Hard to say who might come out better when all was done. Aphros was still reeling from the damage they had taken. Why had such a small company done anything to upset the likes of Genom and HouBang?

Other megacorps had tried to take advantage of the slightly weakened companies, with predictable results for the most part. Genom was still Genom, and they were not about to let anyone take what was theirs. Hou Bang may not have the raw power of Genom, but they had so many parts that it was a hard organisation to hurt, and it could strike back very effectively if it needed to.

She read the information that scrolled across her screen, but saw little of real value.

She took note of Genom's acquisition of G&B. The megacorp had played it the smart way-take in everything it needed then toss out what was left, the crumbs, for the others.

Being so busy trying to snatch up those crumbs kept them from taking a close look at Genom, using the time between absorption and full integration to rip some of those parts away, or to attack them.

Sylia turned back to the information coming from the stock exchanges. In time she was certain that she would have all her answers. She just had to be patient, careful, and alert.

* * *

**Notes on Dragonflies:**  
I was first planning on having Priss sing Amazing Grace so you can guess the feeling I was going for. Dragon Flies was written by Rofu Miki and translated by Tetsutaro Ariga. It is a popular piece for the New Years Red and White show. 

_"As long as you do not know life, how can you know death"  
_-**Confucius**


	19. Satisfaction For A Sin 2

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
**An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (2 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**March 2nd, Thursday, 10:23am**

Priss sat at the kitchen table, pages scattered across the tabletop, a battered laptop by her elbow. She had returned to Nene's house a little more than an hour before. After taking a shower, she had come down to the kitchen to write.

The kitchen's windows caught the morning sun, putting the table into a pool of light. Priss liked that. It was quiet, but for the almost silent hum of the refrigerator, and it was comfortable. Having lived for so long in institutional housing, then in various places like storage sheds and her trailer, she had forgotten what is was like to be in such a place. Hell, there was even a doll stand up for HinamatsuriGirl's Festival.

Nene could be so immature.

Priss reached over and typed on the keyboard for a moment. She hit enter and then listened as the music played out. With the small speakers, and the tinny sound, it was hard to be sure if the music was exactly what she wanted. She turned to the page and made a few changes. She could try it out later on the keyboard she had upstairs.

She was turning her attention back to the lyrics when she heard the sound of the front door opening.

"I'm back," she heard Ali call out. The woman's voice sounded tired.

Priss did not say anything, instead she got up and walked over to the coffee maker. When Ali looked into the kitchen she was filling a mug.

"Asagiri-san, good morning," Ali said.

"Morning," Priss said. "Here." She handed the mug to Ali.

Ali smiled. "Thanks," she took it then lifted it to her lips. She closed her eyes then inhaled the steam over it, then smiled. After taking a drink she looked at Priss. "A woman after my own heart. Your coffee could remove paint."

Priss smiled in spite of herself as she took her seat and shifted the lyrics sheet in front of her. "Just something I learned."

"I had a friend in University who made coffee like this," Ali told her as she walked to the refrigerator. "We lived on it during exams." Ali opened the fridge's door and looked in. "Been shopping again I see. I don't suppose I could get you to take money for the groceries this time?"

"I'm just being a polite guest," Priss told her.

Ali looked around the kitchen. It was cleaner than when she had left the night before. "Very polite," Ali said.

"So, you're not usually home this early," Priss said, more by way of making conversation. She was looking over the lyrics, scratching out words, putting in new ones.

"Got a call last night a little after midnight. They needed me for an emergency case." Ali sat down across from Priss.

"That would be brain surgery, right?" Priss looked up at Ali.

"Yes." She smiled. "I don't get a chance to do that very often these days."

Priss nodded, then looked back at her work, reading it over.

"How do you do that?" Ali asked.

"Do what?" Priss looked up again.

"Write like that, find the words you need?"

"I just do. How do you confidently work on people's brains?"

Ali nodded. "I guess I just do."

"There you go," Priss said, then went back to work. Ali finished drinking her coffee, then got up and retrieved a carton on milk from the refrigerator. After she filled her glass she returned to her seat.

Priss looked up after a few minutes, putting her pencil aside. "Can I ask you something?"

"I can't promise to answer," Ali told her.

"Why did you invite me to stay here?"

"I needed someone to buy my groceries and clean the kitchen. Nene-chan never does it," Ali said with a smile.

Priss found herself smiling again. "No, really?"

"Do you really want to know?" Ali asked, sounding serious.

Priss nodded.

Ali finished off the milk she was drinking, then got up and walked over to the sink. "Nene-chan has told me a little about you," Ali said as she turned on the water and rinsed out the glass. "Probably not as much as she knows, but enough for me." Ali turned the water off then leaned over to open her dishwasher. She stopped when she saw the dishes within were clean. "It gave me an idea about who you were." She closed the dishwasher then put the glass in the sink.

"Care to tell me who I am?"

"Maybe later." Ali walked over and took her seat again. "I think you have gone though a lot, and have lost a lot. I also think you have suffered through those losses alone." Ali stopped and looked at Priss, as if asking her is she wanted Ali to continue.

"Maybe," Priss said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I thought that maybe this time you would be better off not so alone. So I told Nene-chan to offer you a place to stay."

"Trying to save the world?" Priss asked.

"Just you right now," Ali said simply.

"What makes you think I want to be saved?"

"I don't know if you do, but you have to give me credit for trying."

Priss laughed through her nose. "You are full of yourself."

"Maybe. You spend a lot of time avoiding us."

"What?"

"You keep to yourself for the most part, yet you are very polite about it. Why so polite?"

"I understand the workings of polite society. I may not have a lot of time for it, but I can play that game."

"I think you are a decent person Asagiri-san, self-sufficient and tough, but decent. Give yourself more credit."

Priss looked at Ali for a moment. "No wonder Nene-san ran away."

Ali laughed. "Perhaps that is true. It would be sad if I did not learn from my mistakes, then again, you are more mature than Nene-chan was."

"It would be hard not to be."

"True, in some ways. If you want help, I'll try. If you don't want help, I'll still try."

"That might be a dangerous thing to do."

"I'll take my chances," Ali said as she got to her feet. "I'm going to pass out now. Thanks for the coffee."

Priss watched as Ali walked away. She waited until Ali was almost out of sight. "Romanova-san," Priss called. Ali looked back. "Thanks."

Ali nodded, then turned and disappeared around the corner.

Priss shook her head as she went back to her work. That woman was going to get to her if she was not careful.

* * *

**March 1st, Wednesday, 23:02, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada**

D was silent as she moved through the rafters of the huge factory. Below her, in the dim illumination of the emergency lights, were her opponents.

She stopped, hanging onto a support beam with one hand, dangling over a twenty-meter drop. Below her, travelling along a halted assembly line, were two guards. She watched them, picking out their mistakes, discounting them as threats for the time being.

From the pocket of her flak jacket she removed a small explosive device, then clipped it onto the beam just below her. She began squeezing the plastic casing, stopping when she felt the slight grinding that indicated it was armed.

D pulled herself up onto one of the thicker support beams, leaving the explosive behind. On all fours she moved at speed along the narrow pathway.

Sixty meters along she came to large open space. Stopping suddenly, she rocked back onto her heels, coiled her legs beneath herself and leapt up. Eight meters above her she grabbed hold of a crane railing and pulled herself onto it.

As she placed and armed another explosive D looked down on the main assembly floor beneath her. The guards moved between the completed bodies of the light tanks, searching for her. Not one of them had put on their night vision goggles. There was enough light down on the floor for them to see by, but they were missing so much.

Straightening, she took several steps back along the rail then ran towards the end and leapt. With the black body suit and black flak jacket she was no more than another shadow in the dark building. She easily cleared the space between the crane rail and a catwalk on the far wall. The metal of the catwalk rang out with a clanging sound that echoed through the area as she landed.

She pulled an SMG from under her jacket and waited, counting the seconds. Twelve later the first shot rang out from the floor. It was ten meters to her right. They were going to need help.

Reaching forward she twisted the flash and sound suppresser free from the end of the SMG's barrel. One handed, she squeezed off a burst of 10mm ammunition, taking one of the guards down with a head shot.

As the woman fell back her companions opened up on D's location. D dropped onto the catwalk, screwing the flash and sound suppresser back on. She had been hit three times but the rounds had not penetrated the armour weave of her jacket or her bodysuit.

From her perch she began to pick off the guards below with three round bursts. She had to kill five before they moved out of the light, using the cover around them. Slow learners, D thought, getting up and running towards an exit.

By now the guards on the floor would be radioing for backup. There would be at least three more minutes of confusion before they realised their attacker was gone. That should give her the time she needed.

Hitting the door of the exit hard, she snapped the locking bolt and almost tore it off its hinges. Sloppy, she thought, letting her momentum carry her over the railing of the stairs, landing one flight down. The door being broken like that would suggest a strong person. That would point to a boomer. She had to hope that most of the evidence would be destroyed. Damn, she thought, hating it that she had made such a mistake.

She charged down the stairs, taking them three at a time. She surprised two guards coming up. They were just bringing their weapons up when D fired, taking both out clean with head shotsand emptying her weapon. She jumped over their bodies, hardly breaking stride as she tossed the SMG away.

Two more flights down she reached a locked door. She stopped and removed a set of tools from a pouch on her belt. By now the guards would be getting help, they would be beginning to fan out, sending people up into the catwalk. She had a minute at most before they found the broken door, but she thought thirty seconds more likely.

The lock clicked open and D entered the factory's central computer facility. As she took a seat in front of one of the terminals D removed a radio detonator from her jacket pocket. Thirteen seconds she thought, turning on the computer.

She peeled back a flap of skin on the inside of her wrist and pulled two thin cables from her arm and plugged them into the computer. Twenty seconds, she thought, beginning to type.

Data began to scroll across the screen. Twenty-five seconds, D thought as she pushed two black MMSDs into the drives and started the download.

At thirty seconds she pressed the detonator button. The room shook slightly and she could hear the roar of the explosions. The military grade plastique packed quite a bit of power. The lights in the room dimmed and the computer crashed as power cables went.

The interface cables came free from the computer and retracted back into her wrist. D pulled both MMSDs from the drives, letting one fly from her hand. and bounced across the floor. As she ran from the room she pocketed the other disk.

She took another corridor that led away from the direction she had originally come. It sloped down for nearly fifty meters before turning upwards. She reached under her jacket and removed a silver and black Browning Super High Power.

The sounds of alarms were beginning to reach her; there would be fires in the factory, large ones in fact. She had set two charges near the fuel depot. The fires would not reach the area she was in, however.

The tunnel forked, she took the right one, charging up it. There was a faint, reddish light ahead of her, one of the emergency spotlights. She cocked the pistol and continued along the tunnel. The faint light was amplified by her eyes, showing her everything as clear as day. Two men, both with pistols, coming out to examine the area. She waited until she was close as possible then took both of them down. In the confined space the heavy pistol's discharge sounded like thunder.

She jumped over the dead bodies even as they were falling and ran towards a doorway.

A woman stepped out, an SMG in her hands. D took her down before she could fire, and then was by her, into the room. Two men, one standing, one on the floor, and a woman. The man on the floor had his arms wrapped around two children, girls. The dark room was lit by gunfire as D and the bodyguards began firing. The man with the shotgun went down, firing into the ceiling as he fell.

D felt a round hit her in the shoulder, piercing the armour weave of her jacket and the bodysuit beneath it to lodge in her shoulder. Twenty three percent drop in mobility, minor damage, D's housekeeping computer told her.

The man on the ground jerked forward as a round from D's pistol took him in the head. The girls, already screaming, probably did not know he was dead.

Another of the armour piercing rounds from the woman's pistol embedded itself in the concrete just beside D's head.

The woman fell back as two rounds hit her, one in the chest, one in the face.

D continued to run through the room, pushing open the door in the far wall and stumbling out into the night.

She ran along the walkway just above the waters of Hamilton Harbour then leapt in, sliding the pistol into the shoulder holster just before she hit the water. She dove deep and swam, heading away from the burning factory and the dead.

* * *

Industrial espionage was a young person's game. At thirty-three Angeline Deviers was a senior citizen. She had started out with a small group, monkey wrenching oil rigs in the Arctic Sea when she was seventeen. At 21 she had been liberating company assets, everything from prototype software to top notch researchers. 

It had taken a lot out of her.

D knew that, it was why she had taken advantage of the woman's presence.

The alarms on the safe house were among the best available anywhere, they were so good they were not even on the market. They also happened to be made by a Genom subsidiary. Someone was leaking product. On the bright side that made bypassing them easy.

She moved through the house, making as much noise as a cat might, even less in factshe did not have to breathe.

She stopped by the half open door that led into the living room, listening to the moaning and cries. Angeline was high on heroin, being abused by two prostitutes and tied to a couchit was very unlikely that Miss Deviers would ever be aware anyone had been in her safe house.

D slipped past the door and climbed the stairs. It was sad in a way. Genom had made use of Angeline as one of its Black Op operatives, up until two years before when her heroin addiction became known.

The luggage in Angeline's room was not even locked. D opened a suitcase, moved the lingerie out of the way and placed the Browning back into its nest of silk and lace. It was clean and reloaded, one in the chamber, just as it had been when D had taken it earlier.

Angeline was sloppy and careless and she would likely get killed soon. D moved the clothing back into place then closed the suitcase.

Next she opened a briefcaseinside was a computer and a number of related items. D put one of the black MMSDs into a newly opened box of disks. There was a little space left, as if one more could fit. D closed the briefcase.

A minute later she was out on the streets of the Toronto suburb. Sunrise was some time away, she would have time to get to the CN Tower to view it, the sunrise. The sight as the dawn's light struck the still uncompleted structure of the new Genom Tower was beautiful.

* * *

**March 2, 15:58, MegaTokyo**

When Sylia stepped out of the elevator she was greeted by piano music. She shook her head and walked towards her living room. She was not at all surprised to see Priss seated at the piano, fingers flying across the keyboard. Fast music, with a hard beat, though Priss kept it soft enough that it was not filling the penthouse.

She stopped playing, picked up a pencil, and then began making changes to the music. "I didn't think you'd mind," Priss said, not looking back at Sylia.

"It's nice to see that someone plays the instrument."

"You don't play, do you?" Priss asked, putting the pencil aside, then looking over her shoulder at Sylia.

"I can, but not very well."

"So the piano is some holdover from lessons long ago?"

"Something like that."

Priss nodded and turned back to the keys. She paused for a moment, then placed her fingers on the key and started playing. A Mozart sonata. She kept it up for nearly a minute before stopping.

"I'm a little surprised," Sylia admitted.

"Music is music." Priss shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose. So, why did you want to see me? I suspect you did not come over here just to use my piano."

Priss nodded as she closed the cover over the keys. She turned on the bench to face Sylia. "I want to find someplace to live."

"Life at Nene-san's house becoming difficult?"

"Not really." Priss smiled. "Still, I'm not planning on staying there forever."

"You want my help?"

"I figure you have a better understanding of real estate than most."

"True." Sylia paused, as if in thought. "I'm going to be selling a number of my properties in the city soon. If there is anything within those that you want, I'll sell it very cheap."

"You don't have to do that," Priss said, not liking what sounded like pity or charity.

"Actually, it will be of use. I'll be making a lot of money in this, a small loss will be useful."

"You'll have to explain to me how that works one day."

Sylia smiled. "Are you just looking for a place to live?" she asked, walking over to the couch and taking a seat.

"Well, I was also hoping to find a place that could serve as a rehearsal space, maybe where I could do a little recording."

"Business expenses," Sylia said.

"What?"

"Business expenses. If you use your place of residence as rehearsal space, and for recording, you can claim part of the overall cost as a tax write off."

Priss nodded after a moment.

"You told me that you are going to be receiving royalties from a movie, and its soundtrack?"

"Yes. I also got some contracts from Reika Chang's people. Vision wants to cover two of my songs."

"There are many options here," Sylia told her. "We can discuss them later. Since you are here, I need to talk to you."

"What?"

"Come along," Sylia said as she got to her feet. "I'll show you." She turned and walked out of the room. Priss followed close behind.

Sylia led Priss into the computer room. She reached over the chair and tapped a command out on the keyboard. Data began to run across the screen.

"What's all this?" Priss asked.

"Names of people that I might recruit, if Linna-san leaves."

"Think she will?"

"I can't even begin to guess," Sylia admitted.

Priss nodded. "So what do we do now?"

Sylia leaned forward and ejected an SD from one of the drives. "Take this," Sylia said, holding up the coin sized disk. "Read through what is there, make note of anyone you don't want me to consider."

Priss took the SD, holding it between her fingers. "What sort of information is on here?"

"Nothing special. Name, a picture, criminal record, if any, education record, employment record, and maybe a little more in some cases. It should be enough for you to make cuts."

"Is this how you found me?"

"More or less. Linna as well. Nene on the other hand found me, in a way."

"I'll take a look at it," Priss told her, shoving it into her pocket. The scratch resistant surface of the SDs could take a lot of punishment so Priss was not worried about it. "Anything else?"

"Not now."

"If we have to, do you think we can replace Linna?"

"We'll find out when the time comes," Sylia told Priss.

"I guess. I've got to go. I'm a little late for the today's rehearsal. Later," Priss said, turning to leave.

"Goodbye." Sylia watched her leave. She leaned over and shut the computer down.

* * *

**March 4th, 16:32**

Priss sat in the passenger seat of the sedan, scrolling through a computer file containing a list of addresses. She found herself tapping the cursor key in time to the swish of the windshield wipers. Beside her a real estate agent that Sylia had recommended drove the car.

He was looking more than a little angry. For the past three days she had made him take her around the city, looking for a new place to live. She had not found any place that she liked, always finding fault with the property he had shown her.

In the seat behind them was Kano Toda. Priss has asked him to come along as he had much more experience than she did when it came to real estate.

"What about this place?" Priss taped the screen of the palmtop computer, calling up more information.

"Which one?" the real estate agent asked hopefully. The two days he had spent with Priss had been too much for him. The sooner she found a place to live the better. "Oh, that one. You wouldn't be interested."

"It's huge," Priss said, looking at the dimensions given. "It's reasonably near the city centre and if this is the actual price I really want to see it," she told him.

"Let me see," Kano said to her.

"Here." She handed the palmtop over the seat to him.

"I see," Kano said after a moment. "The area has just been rezoned as residential, thanks to Genom's MegaTokyo project. The building itself is not residential."

"So I would have to tear it down and build there?" Priss was totally against the idea and her tone made that evident.

"No, not at all. But you would have to like living in an old factory."

"Probably beats the hell out of living in an old trailer. Let's go take a look at this place," she told the agent.

"I'm sure you would not like it."

"How about you let Asagiri-san decide that on her own," Kano said. "I'm sure that you would rather hold off on selling this piece of property so the price would get jacked up, as would your commission, but we are not interested in playing that game."

"Drive," Priss ordered.

"Fine," he said, sounding defeated.

Kano reached into his pocket and removed his NAVI. "I think I can get a copy of the building inspector's report," he told Priss.

Priss nodded. "It sounds like a good idea."

The building was another that Sylia had owned, all of them had been. Priss was more than a little impressed at Sylia's holdings.

Several minutes later the car was pulling into a small parking lot outside of the building Priss had chosen.

"Used to be a textile factory, then a plastic research firm before the quake," Kano said as he exited the car. He was reading information from his NAVI.

"Any problems with it, like broken walls or anything?"

"Structurally it is fine. Probably needs a bunch of minor work, especially if you want to be comfortable. It's insulated, that's a plus. The plastics firm did that."

"The roof leaks, the plumbing is bad and the floor is cracked in several places from the earthquake," the agent said as he led them towards a single door.

"Minor problems at best," Kano said.

"Expensive ones though."

"If Asagiri-san can afford to purchase this piece of real estate than she can also afford to fix up a few minor problems," he told the agent.

Priss was glad she had asked Kano to come along. His expertise was proving invaluable.  
The agent produced a key ring and used the keys to unlock two dead bolts. He then tapped a code into a keypad just below the bottom most dead bolt. The door unlockedhe pushed it open and let Priss and Kano enter first.

It was dark inside. Priss could tell she was in a corridor that opened out into a large, dark space several meters farther down. There was a scent in the air, not really bad, but strong. It seemed to be a mix of dampness, perhaps mould, old chemicals and disuse. She wondered when the last time any windows had been opened to a cleansing breeze. She wondered if there were any windows.

"Just a moment," the agent said as he moved between them, reaching out and feeling along the wall. "Here it is." There was a sound of metal on metal, then a loud click as the lights came on. There were not many of them, but it was enough for them to see by.

"There is an office in there." He pointed to a door just to Priss' left. "That was for storage or a change room, and that's a bathroom." He indicated the other two doors. "And that," he indicated the large space, "is the main floor." He walked forward, Priss and Kano followed.

The factory floor was very large, Priss guessed nearly forty meters on each side. The floor was covered by old packing crates, broken machinery and there were a few puddles on the floor some were water, some were not. Off to there left were a number of doors and almost directly in front of her, on the opposite wall, was a staircase. It led up to a second floor that took up only a quarter of the ceiling space.

"Those were main offices, if the lights were on up there you would be able to see the windows that look down on the floor," the estate agent told her.

"What about those doors over there?" Kano waved his hand in the direction of the left wall.

"Storage space mostly. One of them leads into a big shower room."

"Does the central heating still work?" he asked. It had been another one of the odd things that the plastic company had added.

"Probably. I suspect the furnace has to be replaced but all the duct work is fine."

"Central heating? That will be expensive," Priss said.

"Electric furnace," Kano told her. "Electricity is not so bad since Genom got those fusion plants up. And this is Tokyo after all, you shouldn't have to run it at full power all that often. You could also limit most of the heating to wherever you are going to live."

"I guess." Priss started off towards the middle of the floor. Kano followed. The agent stayed behind, guessing they wanted to talk.

"Do you want this place?" Kano asked.

"Yes." Priss nodded after a moment.

"Can you afford it?"

Priss smiled slightly.

"I have some money coming in, from various places. Heard of Vision?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Her next album has covers of two of my songs."

He smiled. "Ah."

"I see you understand."

"So you will buy this with your windfall." He looked around the old factory.

"Not exactly." Priss was also looking around the area, in her mind seeing how everything would look.

"Meaning," he asked when Priss did not elaborate.

"I'll use the royalty checks as collateral to take out a loan. I will also declare this as my place of business, probably as a rehearsal space. That way the loan payments and interest on them are tax deductible."

He stared at her the same way he might stare at a cat that had just grown wings.

"I'm quite capable of taking good advice," Priss told him, sounding a little cross.

"Priss-san, you keep taking good advice like that and you might end up owning this world."

"I don't want the world," she told Kano, then she turned towards the agent. "All right let's get everything rolling, I'm taking this place," Priss yelled to the estate agent.

"Of course," he called back.

"Can you talk to him?" Priss asked Kano.

"This time." He smiled at her "You're going to get respectable you know?" he said as he started towards the agent.

"Living in an old factory? Not likely."

As Kano and the real estate agent talked business Priss wandered around the floor, looking at everything. She pulled musty tarps off of several machines; all of them looking a little beat up. She finally reached the low shape she had been heading towards. She grabbed the tarp and pulled it up.

There was a car underneath, a little messed up but looking to be in pretty good condition. It looked familiar to her, something in the design spoke of speed. She wondered what Miako might think of it? She could probably identify it.

She heard a long hiss and a high pitched growl. On the front seat was a cat and several kittens. The cat was growling at her. She let the tarp drop down to leave the mother and her kittens in peace.

"What about all this junk?" Priss called to the agent.

"It's yours. You can probably get a scrap company to haul it all off for you," he called back to her.

Priss nodded, smiling slightly.

* * *

Domino looked down at the screen of her laptop computer, considering the information scrolling across it, trying to decide if it affected her in any way. She reached back and pulled the single braid of her long black hair over her right shoulder and began to worry at the braids. There were a lot of things she had to keep an eye on, relating both to her own department, as well as questions of overall security. 

The family that controlled Aphros Industries was in the process of removing David frost from his position as president and things were being shaken up. Hopefully they would learn things from the people who had run from that shake up.

As for the Rathen, talking to his wife and son had not revealed anything, other than he had started behaving very oddly and then had left. They had not even heard from him for over six months. They had yet to find his mistress and Domino suspected that she might have been killed.

So much to consider, and still few answers.

At the sound of the locking bolts sliding back she raised her head and shut the computer off. She stood straight and flipped the braid back over her shoulder. After taking a moment to pull the blazer of her school uniform straight, she ran from the kitchen, heading for the entry hall.

"Welcome home papa," she called out.

"Not tonight Domino-san," Devon said to her. He stood in the genkan, taking his coat off. His straight stature and precise movements belied his real age.

Domino moved forward and took his overcoat. Underneath he wore a dark grey suit made of thick wool.

"You looked tired," she told him as she hung up his coat.

"I am."

"What happened?" She knelt down and removed a pair of slippers from the cabinet by the door, then placed them on the floor.

"Friend's funeral."

During the time Domino had known Devon she had learned more of him, and his position in Genom. He owned seven percent of Genom's stock, a rather impressive amount, all things considered.

He gave Quincy his proxy to vote his shares, and it was believed that Quincy needed those shares. It gave Devon an aura of power within, and outside of, Genom.

Domino suspected Quincy did not need Devon's stock, that even without it he directly owned more than fifty percent of Genom's stock. It made sense that he made his position seem less secure than it really was. Few people realised just how powerful he was. If that was so, and Domino was certain it was, he had voted his own stock against himself a few times just to maintain the illusion.

"Close friend?" she asked.

"I had not talked to her in almost twenty years. It's just reminding me of how old I really am." He stepped out of the genkan and put the slippers on. "Aren't you going to tell me that I'm not that old?" he asked after several seconds.

"No."

He smiled slightly. "Not the toadying yes woman, are you?"

"You wouldn't want a toadying yes woman around you. Would you like a drink?" Domino walked towards the living room.

"Scotch, neat," Devon said as he followed after her.

Domino poured the drink and handed him the glass. "I'll go get dinner."

"Thank you."

She left him in the living room as she returned to the kitchen to finish preparing the meal.

Looking at the simple fare she wondered if it would be good enough. It was the sort of meal that Devon appreciated when she was playing his teenage daughter but not the sort of thing he preferred at other times. It will have to do, she thought.

Domino still was not sure why Mason hated Devon. The more she learned of Devon, the more charming and intelligent he seemed to her.

She had hoped that with the school uniform her relationship with the man might move into more intimate areas, but they had progressed no further than chaste kisses and touches. Sometimes Domino though it might drive her insane.

Devon always claimed he was too old. She knew that for a lie thoughhe had two mistresses. She felt jealous of them.

She took off her blazer and hung it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs before putting the food on the plates. Placing the plates on a tray she carried them into the living room.

"It looks delicious," he told her after Domino had placed his plate in front of him.

"It's nothing special."

They ate in silence for several minutes. Domino was not altogether pleased with the curry.

"What's happening at Genom these days?" he asked her.

"You have higher security clearance than me."

"In theory I would think. You are more current than I am."

"A few hours ago some hacker took a figurative axe to the ICE around the computer core. It was loud and sloppy."

"I take it said hacker is no longer a problem."

"A quick response team neutralised the threat."

"And the part that makes this important enough to mention?" Devon asked her.

"Another hacker was using the commotion to quietly slip into the system. Computer security caught it, shunted him into a decoy system and let him get away with obsolete data."

"Clever."

"Who?"

"Both the hacker and security. This one is being watched instead of neutralised of course." He stressed the euphemism ever so slightly.

"Of course."

"Is there more to this?"

"Just a nervous feeling that it might be more than a two pronged attack," Domino told him.

"You think there might have been yet another prong?"

"Yes, though security found nothing."

"Well?"

"I doubt security bothered to check all the legal access made at the same time."

"Clever. Is that how you would do it, or should I say did it?"

"I would never entertain the thought of illegally entering Genom's computers."

"Of course. You could check it out yourself," Devon suggested.

"The records could have been erased by now. It's too late."

"So just be extra vigilant."

"Easy to say. Computer security is not even my department."

"Everything is your department Odotte-kun."

"You know too much."

"Perhaps."

"I'll have to leave soon," Domino said, looking at her pink wristwatch.

"You didn't leave much time for me."

"You came home late."

"True."

"Maybe we will have more time next week, Papa."

"Go." he told her, "You are beginning to try my patience." He smiled.

"I'll just clear away the dishes."

"You could just call the maid."

"I don't get too many chances to be domestic."

"It doesn't really suit you."

"Sometimes it does. I'm just too much the high powered executive right now," she explained as she headed out of the room, the tray balanced on one hand.

"Is there a real you or is everything just a role?" he called after her.

Domino did not answer.

* * *

**March 4th, 10:32, Dundas, Ontario, Canada**

Morning sunlight streamed through the bay windows that looked out over the large backyard of the safe house. There was a garden out there but it was held in winter's grip so it slept, awaiting spring. The trees and shrubs were skeletal in appearanceall their leaves had been shed for the glory of autumn.

Natsumi Kosuke did not really see the winter locked landscape, her mind was on other things. The night before last her husband had been killed.

Aphros Securitywho had taken over from Stelco Securityhad presented her with a report early that morning. It was a case of industrial espionage gone bad. They were not quite sure what had happened since all the bodyguards were dead and her two little girls were still in a state of shock and not up to providing any real answers. She had been assured that the unfortunate incident had not been a direct attack against her.

She wondered whether to believe it. "Black is not your colour Kosuke-hakase," a woman said from behind her. "Don't turn around Kosuke-hakase, just listen," the voice warned before she could turn.

"Did you really believe Stelco and Aphros when they said that they could protect you and your family?" the woman asked.

"I had hoped." Natsumi was breathing quickly, feeling light headed.

"Foolish. You know we do not let our assets go that easily. Be back in Tokyo within the week."

"How do I know things aren't as Aphros said? You might just be taking advantage of this."

"We might. You are an intelligent person. Consider all the ramifications of what happened last night and make your own decision. Miki would be the next, by the way."

At that Natsumi spun, the threat to her children angering her. There was no one in the room. She thought she might have heard a door closing but she could not be sure. When she turned to look back out the window she was almost certain she spotted a shape disappearing into the trees.

There was a chance Genom, and she knew it was Genom, was bluffing. It would not be beyond them. She could not take the chance though. The simple fact was that Genom could protect her from Aphros but it was beyond Aphros to protect her from Genom. It was time to go back, to go home in a sick sort of way. She crossed the room and sat down heavily on the couch.

She was tired.

* * *

D smiled as she leapt over the stone wall and landed on the dirt trail behind the house. The security around the place had been very lax, nothing that had even slowed her down. Obviously it had been some time since Stelco had bothered to make improvements to the property's security. 

She was pleased with the job; it had been the type of win/win situation that Genom always tried to set up.

The false leads she had placed had led Stelco and the police right to Angeline. D had tipped Angeline off just before the police had arrived, ensuring she had just enough time to get away but not enough time to take anything. It had also allowed the police to make a positive identification.

They had found the gun and matched the ballistic patterns. They had found the disk with its damning data on it. With Angeline's recent record of sloppy work that often led to excessive damage, it all seemed obvious what had happened. Aphros, who owned Stelco, might suspect Genom being behind it, but they would never be able to prove it. Which was the point of the exercise. Aphros had to be punished, and now they had been.

A clear message had also been sent to Kosuke-hakase as well. D was certain she would return to Genom. She was acting much like the psychological workup on her had predicted.

While Natsumi had cared about her husband, his death was not the sort of trigger that would push the doctor to act irrationally, an important consideration. The threats against her daughters would bring her back, though it would be dangerous to actually harm them. That might cause irrational behaviour on Natsumi's part.

Stelco, and of course their new owners, Aphros, had also lost most of their light armour plant and would no longer be able to meet the order for Amazonia. While the new nation had wanted the Stelco Fox II's they would no doubt be willing to purchase combat boomers instead. They needed the weapon systems soon. They could afford them. The Amazon had an abundant resource base.

Stelco Steel and Arms could have allowed Aphros to branch out beyond their aircraft production, and would have complimented it well. Now it was a liability, for a time. It hurt Aphros Industries, but not so bad as to be out of proportion of their crime. Genom was not interested in completely destroying Aphros, not yet at least.

There was also the added bonus that Angeline would not likely live much longer. She knew quite a few embarrassing secrets about Genom. Her death, in no way connected to Genom, would solve a potential problem.

While all that was good the final prize was what made D particularly proud, what gave her an extreme sense of satisfaction.

Angeline had realigned herself with a heavy industry company called Magtech. Genom market analysers had predicted a possibility of co-operation between Kyuusei and Magtech within two years. Now that date would likely be pushed back quite some time. A potential threat to Genom removed before it could ever come to fruition.

It had been pure luck that things had turned out that way. Angeline had just been the perfect scapegoat to pin things on. D knew she would never get such a perfect set up again. Not in a thousand years. It was almost disappointing. She had reached her pinnacle and still had so much time in front of her.

She shrugged her shoulders and set off towards where she had left her car parked. She was going to have to rush if she wanted to get to Pearson International and catch the SST to Vancouver. She had some work there as well.

* * *

**March 5th, 11:23, MegaTokyo**

The van was black, with tinted windows. The license plates were standard pattern. The vehicle was registered as belonging to woman in one of Tokyo's suburbs. It was one of the ADP's Shade Fleet. Sometimes the ADP did not like to advertise their presence.

Inside the van Nene was staring at the .454 automag that Leon was holding out to her.

"Why do I need a weapon Leon-san?" she asked.

"ADP regs. You have to be armed."

"Didn't you say that this was all going to be perfectly safe?"

"It will, but if you are not armed, and Toda-san finds out, he'll explode."

"Like you care about Toda-jichou will do."

"Just take the pistol," Leon told her.

Nene looked at the weapon, then reached out and took it. It was heavy; she remembered that from when she had used the weapon back in December. She looked it over, pulled back the action to make sure there was nothing in the chamber, then placed the pistol in her lap.

She picked up the shoulder holster and put it on, tightening the straps. Leon handed her two magazines that she slid into the holders opposite to the holster. The third magazine he handed her she slid into the pistol. She made sure the weapon was one safe, then put it into the holster.

"Now the flak jacket," he said, holding up what looked like a black, leather jacket.

"Flak jacket?"

"Regs," he said, smiling.

Nene nodded and took it from him. It was heavier than she had expected, but not excessively so. After sliding into it, she looked up at Leon. "Anything else?"

"No. Are you clear on the plan Nene-chan?"

"Bring down the security system, we enter on this side of the building, Daily-san comes in from the other."

"Good." He looked back at one of his men who was sitting at the back of the van, looking at a small screen in his lap. "Clear?"

"Looks like it."

"Okay," he reached out and opened the sliding, side door. "Go to it," he told Nene.

Nene picked up her bag and jumped from the van. Behind her the door slid closed, banging loudly. Nene jumped slightly then chided herself for being so nervous. It was all really simple after all.

She walked out of the small parking lot, crossing the street, making her way to the old warehouse that was the target. 'Walk casually', Leon had told her, so she tried. Just out on your way somewhere else, you just happen to have to pass this warehouse. Relax.

Ahead of her was the back door. Set on the wall, a little above shoulder level for her, was a small keypad. No cameras outside, no windows looking down on the door, but for one. That window was being watched by an ADP shooter, just in case.

When Nene reached the door she moved quickly in close to the door. At this point Leon had told her that the biggest threat she faced was that someone would come out of the door. 'Move fast, then get clear', he had said.

Reaching into her bag, Nene grabbed the tool kit within. She pulled it out, flipping it open at the same time. She pulled out a screwdriver and jammed it under the keypad plate. She pushed it up, then twisted it, popping the plate free.

She slid the screwdriver back into its place, removing a pair of wire clippers. Her motions were fast, but not rushed. After taking a look at the mess of wires she used a knife to strip some of the plastic off the wire and then put in a bypass. With that done, she reached in with the clippers and snipped the wire in two.

Motions still controlled, she replaced the wire cutters, then put the tool kit into her mouth, holding it between her teeth. She pulled her laptop from her bag, the clip leads were already attached, ready to go. Nene clipped the leads to the wires she had cut, the opened her computer and called up the programs she wanted.

The security system was hooked up to a monitoring computer. A good, if somewhat dated system, Nene noted. Working quickly she told the computer everything was fine, locked it into a loop, unlocked all the doors, and then shut the security system down.

She pulled the computer free, turned, gave a thumbs up in the direction of the vanthey would be watching herthen grabbed the bag and moved away from the door.

The van pulled from the parking lot, tires screeching. A few seconds later it skidded to a halt in front of the doors. The back doors opened and Leon and four members of his TAC squad leapt out. One of the squad approached the door, Leon and the others covering him. The door was opened and the man went in, another member following closely behind.

On the other side of the building Daily and his people were doing the same.

Leon motioned to Nene as he went in. Nene sighed and followed after him, pulling the bag up on her shoulder. Just before she entered she drew the .454 from her holster, pulled back the slide, and then entered the building.

Her mother would kill her if she learned of this.

* * *

Nene sat in front of the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. She would occasionally stop, turning to look at the bandage wrapped around her left arm. A shallow graze-Teflon coated bulletwhich did not require anything other than a bandage. The paramedics had given her some aspirin for the pain. After a moment she would shake her head and go back to her work. 

When Leon walked into the room a few minutes later she was almost finished.

"What have you got?" Leon asked, dropping into the chair in front of the desk.

"Sales records, inventory, information like that. I haven't broken all the encryption yet, but that is what it looks like. It will probably take a week or two with a powerful computer to break it all, though we still may find the keys around here."

Leon nodded. "It's not as if we need it, not with all the hard evidence we have," Leon waved a hand at the bullet riddled window behind him, indicating the storage area beyond. "There are enough weapons in there to equip a small army."

"It looks old," Nene said, remembering the files she had decrypted.

"It is. Scrounged stuff more than likely. Old M-16s, a pile of AKMs, Uzis, a bunch of MP-5s and some other stuff I can't name. We've also got a bunch of rebuilt boomers, mostly C-Class, but a few hardier types."

Nene nodded, saying nothing.

"Does you arm hurt?"

"Not really," Nene shook her head. "It stings a little, but that is fading. The paramedics told me that it would heal without a scar."

"Scared you, right?"

"Yes. I thought this was going to be easy," Nene said, a note of accusation in her tone."

"I was hoping it would be. I figured these people were dealing illegally in boomer parts. I had no idea they were gunrunners. Oh, the woman you shot..."

"Is she..." Nene interrupted him.

"She'll be fine, but she is going to be in the hospital for a week or two. Nice shooting, centre of mass."

"I was trying to hit her in the arm," Nene told him.

"This was better."

"If you say so."

Leon smiled. "Look at it this way. You came out of here with minor wound, a scratch really, and you acted intelligently under fire. Full points all around."

"So I should be proud of this?" Nene asked incredulously.

"Maybe not proud, but not guilty either."

"I think I'm going to have to throw up soon."

"Stress reaction, now that you have time to think about it."

Nene nodded and got to her feet. "Excuse me," she said, walking quickly from the room.

Leon watched her go, smiling slightly. He had been there, to a lesser extent, and he had seen others in the same circumstances. It was all part of combat. He got up from the chair, pulling his jacket straight. He still had work to do, but he'd have to take his people and Daily's out for a drink later. Some sake would probably help Nene.

* * *

Twist, slash, jump, duck, parry, Linna felt a vibration run through her arm as her sword met the other. Spin about, and away, drop back into a fighting stance, wait. Across from her, her opponent had moved into almost exactly the same stance. Wait three beats, then, the shrill note of the flute launched them both at each other. 

Linna went high, Mako went low, the two twisted around each other's blades, all part of a meticulously choreographed fight. Mako wore a loose kimono; her face made up in bright colours. Linna wore a body glove of black silk, a demon mask on her face.

They came at each other again, the blade met once again, ringing out. The second time that the blades were to meet. It added a certain thrill to the dance, but also an element of danger. Kikuchi-sensei had kept such contact to a minimum.

Linna spun back, a tight, controlled spin that hard to maintain. She kept her katana tucked in close to her, making sure if would not flail about. Mako moved after her, her katana slashing the air where she had just been.

Then Linna stopped her retreat and went on the attack. It was time for Mako to spin away. The entire fight scene was one of the flashiest sequences in the entire performance. It was very difficult, and both Linna and Mako dominated the stage for the entire routine. Linna did not get much stage time before or after it, but she had her chance to shine.

They moved into the closing moments of the fight. Mako attacked, Linna parried, the blades rang out, and Linna fell back. To the audience Linna's stumble would look ungainly, but the truth was she had spent a lot of time getting that stumble perfect. The audience might not appreciate it, but Linna did, and that was part of Kikuchi-sensei's plan.

Beaten, Linna fled from the stage, leaving Mako victorious.

She walked into the wings, taking her katananot a real one of courseand sliding it into its sheath. She pulled her mask off, wiping the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand. A girla student from a nearby school who wanted to learn how to dancehanded Linna a towel. Linna thanked her, then used the towel to wipe her face off.

"Yamazaki-san," one of Kikuchi-sensei's assistants called out.

"Hai," Linna turned towards the woman.

"Kikuchi-sensei would like to remind you that you lose that fight. It will be hard to believe that if your parry is so perfect."

Linna nodded. "Understood."

The woman nodded, then moved off, listening to instructions Kikuchi-sensei sent over the radio receiver in the woman's ear.

Linna took a seat near the rear of the wings, putting the towel around her shoulders. It was hard to not make that parry perfect. Her vision was somewhat restricted by the mask she wore, and while she trusted her own abilities to keep Mako safe, she was not entirely confident in Mako's abilities to do the same for her.

She sighed and leaned back in the chair. It was hard, but all things considered, she would not trade it for the world.

* * *

**Cultural Notes:  
**Hinamatsuri, Girls Festival, takes place on the third of March. During this time old dolls are displayed on these rather large stands and young girls are presented with special dolls that represent ancient figures from the Imperial court. 

**Tech Notes:  
**Browning Super High Power: One of the many large frame pistols that have become popular since 2026, supposedly as Boomer killers. The Browning SHP uses a special 10mm ammunition manufactured by only a few companies under special license from Browning Arms. It features a wide ejection port and as such suffers from fewer feeding jams than other pistols of its type.

Most experts agree that the weapon, while very powerful, is of little use in serious combat. Still it had become a very popular weapon since 2029 when Derrick Rig began to use the weapon for his tough cop character 'Yoshiko Magnum' in his ultra-violent action movies (written by Adam Warren).

**Browning Super High Power**  
Type: Heavy Pistol  
Conceal: 4 Ammo: 10(c)  
Mode: SA  
Damage: 12M  
Weight: 2.5  
Availability: 4/3 days  
Cost: 80000 yen  
St. Index: 2  
Legal: 6P-E RC: -  
if using the special ammunition which costs 5000 yen for ten rounds. Only available as standard rounds.

**Note**: The rounds made by Browning Arms for this weapon are quite powerful, so much so in fact that pistol is gas operated, with a roller-locked system. This adds a certain level of excess complexity to the weapon and is one of the reasons that it is not seen as a useful weapon for combatit requires too much maintenance.

Furthermore, the heavy round imposes a +3 recoil modifier for the second shot and an average strength roll to avoid a further +1 to the target number. All in all it is not a weapon most professionals would choose.

**Stelco Arms Fox II light battle tank**: The Stelco Arms company came to the fore of armour production with the release of the Iron Grizzly, Heavy Battle Tank in 2015. This model sold very well for several years until Genom Combat boomers hit the scene. After that the Iron Grizzly, like many other tanks, was well on its way to obsolescence.

Stelco Arms released the Fox, a light two-man tank that proved effective in many situations and superior to Boomers. This superiority lasted a little over six months.

The Fox II is built with a light frame. It has a unique system of propulsion, eight legs to a side. These legs give it unparalleled manoeuvrability compared to other armoured vehicles and give it a fighting chance against combat boomers.

The project was plagued with problems until Natsumi Kosuke joined the project team. She worked the bugs out the control programs, giving Stelco Arms a viable and much sought after product.

On each leg is a small wheel, which allows the Fox II to use wheeled movement while on roads. This is both a little faster and offers a smoother ride.

**Fox II**  
Handling: 2(4/8)  
Speed: 80 (100)  
Acceleration: 5 (8)  
Body: 6  
Armour: RESTRICTED INFORMATION  
Signature: 5  
Auto Navigation: 3 Pilot: -  
Sensor: 6  
Cargo: 25  
Load: 700  
Availability: NA  
Street Index: NA

**Note**: The number in brackets are for when the Fox II uses its wheeled movement.

The Fox II's weapons consist of a man, gauss cannon that...Restricted Information.

The secondary weapon is a mini-gun mounted on the rear of the tank's turret, linked up to the Fox II's sensor system. This weapon can be used to engage incoming missile and rocket fire as well as low flying aircraft. While an effective system, the high rate of fire quickly expends its ammunition. (use the Vanquisher mini-gun for stats).

_"In this uncertain world, ours should be the path of discipline"_  
-**Shiba Yoshimasa**


	20. Satisfaction For A Sin 3

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (3 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**March 6th, 08:13**

Domino walked into the Dump, passing by the two boomers that stood guard outside of the room. The Dump, or Information Collection and Distribution as it was officially known, was where information from all over the world ended up, for a time.

As Domino entered the room she could see screens about her, the large ones up on the wall, medium sized ones at various points, and the small computer screens the ICD people sat in front of.

The people who worked in the room were among the best intelligence analysts in the world. Information came in from all around the world, flashed across their screens, and they had to pick out what was important. The people in the room worked three days out of every seven, worked four-hour days, and were paid salaries comparable to that of Domino herself. They were of course worth it.

While most of the senior executive had security clearance for the Dump, few ever entered. All the data coming in was confusing, and perhaps a little intimidating. Domino was able to make sense of most of it, thanks to her hardware. Still, there was a certain skill that was required and Domino did not think she had that skill, not like the Analysts.

She might not be good at it, but she could still do it, and there was a certain value in stopping by. Most of the other execs had to wait until the information filtered through to them. By stopping by herself she got a two or three hour jump on some information. It was rather valuable.

She noted that the Mars mission was entering stage two, a week ahead of schedule if she remembered correctly. Four hundred boomers, sent to Mars via an orbital railgun, building a settlement. It was an example of Genom's long term planning. Of course that was nothing compared to the Jupiter Mission, still several weeks from entering the orbit of the huge gas giant.

Domino turned towards another screen, deciding that system exploration, while very interesting, was not something she needed to worry about. She watched for a few more minutes, then turned to leave. She was a little surprised to see Katherine Madigan standing there, looking up at the screens as well.

That was interesting, Domino thought as she walked towards the door. She wondered if Madigan got as much from the constant stream of data as she herself did. Perhaps. The woman was rather interesting. And dangerous.

She left the Dump behind and made her way to the elevators. The Tower was just beginning to get busy with people coming in for the start of another weekday, but Domino avoided the rush and was soon in her office.

There was only one person there that early in the morning, Erika Tomitsu. She was Domino's senior OL. She was twenty-eight years old, with neither the talent nor the inclination to move up the ladder. She was excellent at what she did and was kept busy with the day to day operations of the office. She knew nothing of the shadowy side of Domino's duties, or at least went out of her way to know as little as she could. Many people in Genom were like that.

"Morning Tomitsu-san," Domino called out as she came into the outer office.

"Good morning Odotte-sama," she said, bowing to Domino. "Lin-san is in your office."

"Thank you." Domino smiled at the woman as she went by. She had learned what made her staff happy, how to push their buttons as it were. Erika did not care much for excessive praise, but she appreciated the small touches. Domino gave her those, and assured her ultimate loyalty.

She pushed her door open and walked into her office. Seated on the couch, legs pulled up under her, a laptop in front of her, was Rebecca Lin, one of Domino's newest employees.

"Good morning Miss Lin," Domino said as she walked across the room, taking a seat behind her desk. "You are looking well this morning."

"It's not as if I have much choice," Rebecca said, not looking up from her computer. "This body was designed that way." There was bitterness in her tone.

Domino smiled slightly, knowing that Rebecca would not see her. While Rebecca put on a good act, that was all it was, an act. The young woman, though hiding it well, was happy. It was probably in part to do with getting rid of all the emotional baggage that the real Rebecca Lin had carried around with her. It might also have something to do with the fact that the body she was in, while attractive, was not attractive in a sexual way. Well, at least not to most.

"Well, we all have our crosses to bear. Now, did you review those files as I asked?"

"Yes," she answered petulantly. "I found no traces of illegal intrusion at the times you wanted me to look at. That does not mean anything though. You got those records late, so they could have been cleaned up before hand."

"Nothing at all to lead you to suspect anything?"

"Well, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Why are you asking me to do this anyway? Genom has people who are better than me, I know that."

"You bring a fresh perspective to the problem Miss Lin. Now, explain that 'Maybe'."

"It looked a little too clean, the records. It looks as if someone did a general clean job, smoothing over everything instead of just their work."

"Interesting."

"It might not mean anything," she said, sounding a little angry.

"My apologies for giving you the idea you are being helpful to me Miss Lin," Domino said.

Rebecca snapped her computer shut. "Is there anything else?"

"Not really."

"I'm going then," she said, getting to her feet.

"One more thing," Domino said.

"What?"

"The new school year starts April 7th. Would you like to be enrolled as a student?"

"Pardon?"

"It would help with your cover."

A number of emotions flashed across Rebecca's face in a few seconds. Domino simply looked on, her face dead-pan.

"I'll think about it," Rebecca said, tuning and walking towards the door. Domino smiled at her back. While she had been fairly certain of her ultimate response, she had wanted to test it. A gentle poke every now and then, just to make sure that the person was behaving as expected was useful. She did not feel bad about doing itshe had been on the receiving end of such pokes herself.

A chance to relive one's childhood, Domino thought. A dream of many, to go back and correct mistakes. She fully expected that Rebecca would see it as such. If it made her happy, it would increase her loyalty, and make her that much more useful to Domino. All part of doing business.

Domino put Rebecca out of her mind and turned her attention to some work she needed to do. Not long afterwards she stepped out into the outer office to say good morning to her staff, share a cup of tea with them, and tell them what she wanted done that day. She pointed out mistakes that had been made, then, to take the sting out of it, pointed out the things well done as well.

That taken care of she returned to her office.

She had split her computer screen into three windows and was working in all of them. Not quite at the same time, but she switched between the three so fast and so often it appeared that way. One was a plan to absorb a new software company into Genom's North American operation. The second was the same logs she had asked Rebecca to look over, as well as some classified parts that the woman was not cleared to see. The third was a report from D.

She brought up another window and looked at more computer logs, comparing the logs from a few days before the incident with the more recent ones. There was too much information to deal with. Just how many people had access to the Genom computer cores? She was assuming that something had been left behind as well. She could well be searching for something that just was not there. There was also the possibility that it had never been there, that she was jumping at shadows. Still, Rebecca had suggested that everything had been cleaned.

This is too unproductive, she thought, closing the two windows. She made a few notes on the software company, then closed that one was well. That left only D's report to deal with.

Turning slightly in her chair she picked up a cup of coffee from her desk top in one hand and a printout in the other.

D had been doing well so far. Currently she was in Houston searching into some leads and tying off a few loose ends from previous Genom operations. It was best to be tidy about things, especially when those things were Genom black ops.

Her handling of the Kosuke situation was exemplary. Domino had come to realise how valuable D was to her. There were few other operatives in Genom as skilled as she was. Part of it was due to the fact she was a boomer but much of it had to do with experience.

She had come to depend on D, both as a skilled operative and as a confidant and perhaps, just perhaps, a friend. A weakness, yet another one, but there was little she could do about it.

D would be back in Tokyo sometime the day after next. Hopefully she would bring with her some useful information that might help Domino reach some conclusions. If not about the computer intrusion, then something else.

She would have to meet with Madigan soon, compare notes, and see if the other woman had come up with any useful leads. At least ones that she would share with Domino. Dealing with Katherine was always a bit of a chore. Both of them did their best to make sure they gave away no more than they were given in return. Less if possible. Still, her continuing association with Katherine Madigan was of value, if only for the fact that it scared the hell out of some of the other execs.

It was a hard little game they played and both played it well and for keeps. Domino's respect for the woman had grown since they had started working together. Eventually they would probably go their separate ways, becoming enemies again. That was just the way it went.

Her NAVI rung, a fast beeping ring that told her it was coming from a number tagged as important. She reached into her jacket pocket, removed the NAVI and flipped it open.

"Moshi moshi, this is Odotte," she said.

"Odotte-san, the Chairman would like to see you," the voice on the other end said to her.

"I'll be right there." Domino cut the connection, folded the NAVI up and returned it to her pocket. She got to her feet, straightened her clothing and walked towards the exit, her pace as quick as she could make it without looking undignified. It would not do to keep Quincy waiting any longer than necessary.

As she exited her office, she wondered just what the Chairman wanted to talk to her about.

* * *

"So, all the evidence has been legally obtained?" Tylor asked Nene.

Nene was about to say yes, then paused as she thought about it. "Which evidence?"

"The evidence being used in this case," he clarified.

"Yes, the evidence being used in this case was all obtained legally."

"And what about the evidence not being used?"

"Is there evidence not being used?" Nene asked, sounding perfectly innocent.

"Very good," Tylor said, nodding. "Remember, listen to the questions and be careful about your answers. Don't ever lie, but don't volunteer anything that they don't ask. And even if they ask, wait a moment before answering; it will give our side a chance to raise an objection over the question."

Nene nodded. "Are they likely to ask such questions Yamanaka-san?"

"Hard to say. Illegally obtained evidence can be a problem, but not always. What they might try to do is make it seem like the ADP did not follow proper procedures in the events leading up to the raid. If they did not follow them there, where else might they have not followed them?

"I would not worry about it though, if it is up to me none of you will be there. I'm not going to let them put the ADP on trial."

"I'd rather not have to go to court," Nene said.

"Guilty conscience?"

"Busy schedule."

"I see. Well, write up a statement about your part in the case. I'll need that."

"When do you need it?"

"Two or three days."

"All right."

"Good. Anything you need to know, need help with?"

"No," Nene shook her head.

"Well, then this is all we needed to deal with."

Nene got to her feet. "Domo arigato(thank you)," she said, bowing to the lawyer.

"Don't mention it," he said waving his hand in a negation. "Just don't do anything too illegal."

Nene smiled. "I'll try."

* * *

"Nene-san," Kaoru called out as Nene left Tylor's office.

"Kaoru-san, good afternoon."

"Busy?"

"A little."

"Time for lunch?"

"Yes," Nene said, smiling.

"Hot Extraction?"

"Sure."

He looked at his watch. "I've got a few reporters to put off, so, meet you in the lobby at 12:30?"

"I'll be there," Nene said, smiling.

"Good. See you soon," he said, then turned and walked away.

Nene went the opposite way, taking an elevator up to the floor where her new office was. She shared space with Leon and some others, her desk tucked into a corner, covered with her computer.

She sat down behind her desk, made herself comfortable, and then brought her computer out of sleep mode. While the computer cycled through its wake up and security procedures Nene turned to look through the files that had been put on her in pile.

While she did a lot of information retrieval for Leon, there was a certain amount of basic administration work that had to be taken care of. Expenditure reports, requisitions forms, investigation requests, and a lot of other things needed to be looked over, and dealt with. It was all fairly easy though, for the most part she just sent the various reports to whoever needed to see them.

She took care of the daily reports first, scanning them into the computer, cleaning them up, collating them, and then printing them out. She leaned back in her chair while the printer ran, looking over the requisition forms. While most of it was fairly standard, a few new weapons, ammunition, and some armour, there were a few other things. Most of them were items the ADP would never get, HEAP and HESH ammunition, assault rifles, anti-boomer mines and the like.

As Nene understood it Leon and his people kept making the requests as a form of protest over the ADP's weapon situation. The protest was not having much effect. Nene doubted it ever would.

She looked over the requisitions to make sure that they were properly written up, then put them off to the side. She'd drop them off with the quartermaster on her way to the lobby. Thinking of that Nene looked at her watch. A quarter after twelve. Time to go.

She logged off her computer, then put it to sleep. Picking up the requisition files, she stood, then walked from the office.

* * *

"Hand me the coupler for the generator," Sylia said.

"Here," Mackie said, handing her the part.

Sylia took it and slid it into the mass of components. Mackie slid small wrench into the space and tightened the locking bolts. "Gently," Sylia said.

Mackie eased off slightly, noting that Sylia nodded. "I think that does it," he said.

"Looks good," Sylia said, moving away from the frame of the motoroid still under construction.

"Have you decided what you are going to call it?"

"Not yet. A storm name of course."

"Are there any left?" Mackie smiled.

"A few," Sylia told him as she picked up a diagnostic computer.

"What about Maelstrom?"

"That's a whirlpool," Sylia told him.

"Really?"

"I'm fairly certain." She plugged the leads from the diagnostic computer into the motoroid. "Start up the generator, let's make sure everything is as it should be."

"Twister?" Mackie suggested as he ran the start up protocols.

"Just another name for a Tornado."

"Blizzard?"

Sylia shook her head. "It does not have the destructive connotations of the other names." Sylia thought about it for a moment. "Well, that is not entirely true. Still, I'm not sure I like the name Blizzard."

"Maybe you'll just have to call it the Hurricane 2?" Mackie started the generator up.

"Perhaps." Sylia looked down at the readouts. "This looks good."

Mackie nodded. "What next?"

"We'll start putting the armour on tomorrow."

"You don't want to do it now?"

Sylia shook her head. "Not yet. No need to rush it, and we both have other work to do."

Mackie looked at his watch. "I think I'm going to be late."

"I'm sure Raven-hakase will understand."

"What are you going to be doing?" Mackie asked, curious as always.

"See if any new information has come in, and a few other things. Nothing new."

"Well, I'll see you later then," Mackie said, walking towards the elevator.

Sylia watched him go, then turned back to the still incomplete motoroid. She grabbed a tarp and pulled it over the frame, covering the new machine. Hopefully she would have it complete in a few days.

She left the repair bay behind, going to the small office she maintained in the basement. Taking a seat behind the desk she picked some sheets from her desktop.

Ever since Bestar-san had spoken to her she had been considering what he wanted, and the articles she had read in the journal. She looked down at the pages in her hand. She was still not finished with it, but she was certain that the ideas she was putting down on paper would be considered somewhat radical by some.

Assuming, of course, anyone read it.

* * *

Linna was cleaning her apartmentcleanliness had suffered due to her busy schedulewhen she heard her doorbell chime. She left the damp cloth on the kotatsu top as she got up from her knees. She moved towards the door, calling out, "Hai, hai."

She looked out the peephole, seeing a woman standing out there. She was wearing a three-piece suit, pants, not skirt, and was carrying a briefcase. Linna opened the door.

"Yamazaki-san?" the woman asked.

"Hai," Linna said.

"I'm Noda Manami, pleased to meet you," she said, at the same time producing a business card, which she held out to Linna.

"Yamazaki Linna," Linna said, taking the card. It had the woman's name on it, the fact she was a junior partner of a law firm, and several phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well.

"Yamazaki-san, I'm here on behalf of Chang Reika-san. My firm handles some of Kyuusei Industries' business in Nihon."

"Reika-san? Why would she send you?" Then Linna realised that the woman was just standing in her hallway. "I'm sorry, please, come in."

Manami smiled and stepped into the apartment, removed her shoes in the genkan, then stepped up into the apartment. "Thank you."

"Please." Linna said, stepping aside for her. Linna showed her to the living room and then went to make some tea. It was the absolute worst time for her to be entertaining visitors. The apartment was a mess.

She put green tea leaves into a strainer, the strainer into a teapot, then pumped hot water from the thermos over the leaves. She grabbed two cups, placed them on a tray with the teapot, then hurried back to the living room.

She poured Manami her tea first, then filled her own glass. "How can I help you?" Linna asked as she put the small tea pot aside.

"Well, as I understand it, you may be entering into Chang-san's employ soon."

"I'm still thinking about it," Linna said.

"Well, I'm probably here to help you make that decision," Manami said, smiling. She reached down and opened her briefcase.

"Oh?"

"I was asked to outline the benefits you could expect if you enter into Chang-san's employ."

"What kind of benefits?" Linna asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, the salary you can expect is rather generous," Manami told her, not bothering to mention any numbers. "There is also a health plan, pension plan and various insurance plans included. You will get a percentage of ticket sales, once your choreography has been worked into the show, and a performance fee, if you choose to perform." As she spoke she brought out several sheets of paper and laid them on the table. "These explain everything," she indicated the paper, "and should answer all your questions. If you have any questions about any of this, I can stay and explain it to you, or you can call me at a later date."

Linna nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I'd like to take some time to look over all of this and give it some thought."

"Of course," she said, closing her briefcase at the same time.

"Thank you very much for coming to see me."

"Don't mention it," Manami said as she got to her feet.

Linna got to her feet as well and walked Manami to the door.

"Please feel free to call me at any time," Manami said, stepping down into her shoes.

"Thank you."

Manami opened the door, stepped out into the hall, then turned. "Good night," she said, bowing to Linna.

Linna returned the bow, then watched as the woman walked away. She waited a moment, then closed and locked her door.

Returning to the kotatsu, she looked down on the papers placed there. She knelt down, shuffled them together, then placed them off to the side. Plenty of time for that later, right now she had a lot of cleaning to take care of. She gathered up the tea things, placed them on the tray, then got to her feet.

* * *

The music was loud, the lights were down, and there was a press of bodies around her, moving in time to the music. The air was hot, and thick with the scent of bodies and sweat.

Domino let herself become lost in the sensations, letting them wrap around her and through her and drag her into the mix, becoming one with it, for a time. She was not an executive, not some innocent girl, not any of the roles she had taken on since her awakening. She was pure tempter that night. Her pheromones subtle as a gentle breeze, yet hitting hard as a truck, were flowing around her, creating a volatile mix. Anything might happen.

She hardly cared.

She wore a short, black, velvet cocktail dress. Over it was a long, leather coat, also black. The coat went down past her ankles and would have been dragging on the floor if not for the spiked heels she wore. They gave her that extra height she needed. Her hair hung loose, lashing about her like thin whips, splashing her scent across people's faces at times.

With all the black and the pale skin she might have been considered Goth, but lacked the make up that often went with that old style.

The Tokyo Hard Rock Café was packed, packed beyond legal capacity in all likelihood. It was on the account of a band, a new one for many. There was an electricity in the club, something that brought people there to listen.

Domino knew a little of Priss and the Replicants. The lead singer had been known for an anti-Genom stance, but that had softened a little over the years. Domino thought that Mason might have had a few dealings with someone related to her, in the past. Hard to be sure. There were so many faces.

It did not concern her, however. What did was that the music was loud, easy to dance to, and it brought people into the club in great numbers. It had been exactly what she had been looking for.

The music came to a thunderous end, the lead singer, Priss, called out to the crowd, telling them that they were going to take a break, but they would be back. A moment later the club's piped music came on. A calmer tone to relax everyone.

Domino found herself pressed against a tall man with a hard body. She splayed her fingers on his chest and slid her hand up it, along his neck, feeling the stubble there, then up his chin, placing her fingers against his lips. She looked up into his eyes, as he was looking down into hers. "Want to go some place?" she asked.

He looked a little surprised at that, that she had made the first move. "Sure," he said.

Domino turned her back on him, but reached out to grab his hand, just to make sure that he would not get lost on her, then dragged him towards the back exit.

Once outside they found a deserted alley. They did not talk. They did not need to. He pulled his jacket off and dropped it to the ground, leaving him only in a tight, white, sweat stained T-shirt and his jeans. Domino leaned up against the dirty wall, just looking at him. He had a build that a C-class might envy. Sandy brown hair, blue eyes, he might have some Japanese blood in him, but it was hard to tell. Domino really did not care.

He fumbled with his belt, then undid the button fly of his jeans. That was all the preparation he needed. From a pants pocket he produced a condom. Domino was not really concerned about itshe was protected against almost any of the STDs that one might expect to encounter, but she did not stop him from putting it on. She realised that she wanted the thin, latex barrier between them.

He moved up close to Domino, his need obvious. Grasping the hem of her dress, he pulled it up about her waist, then yanked her panties down to her knees. With no ceremony he lifted her up, then slid into her, grunting softly.

It was fast, and rough. His movements had her head banging up against the wall. If she was not made of such stern stuff she might have expected bruises there, as well as on her back. He began kissing her, chewing gently on her lips as he thrust so hard. The dichotomy of the two sensations endeared him to her in some strange way. She began kissing him back, even as she let him use her as vessel for his lust.

It was over soon enough; he tossed the used condom down the alley, did up his pants, then picked up his jacket and left. Domino still leaned against the wall, her dress still bunched up around her hips. She was not really breathing all that hard, nor did she feel any sense of satisfaction.

Not much of a first time, she thought as she reached down to pull her panties back up. That was the point though. Weaknesses were dangerous. They could put her in dangerous positions. No more thinking of love or sex as something special. She had just seen all there was to it for her. Two people, in a dirty alley, fucking.

After straightening out her clothes Domino started back towards the club. The night was far from over.

* * *

Holding her chin up, Priss let the cool wind blow across her face, cooling her off after the wild performance. She stood up on tiptoe so she could look out the high window and catch the breeze. There was not much of a view, just the crowded parking lot of the club. Most of the cars looked expensive. Priss wondered just when her class of audience had changed?

After a moment she realised that they had not changed. The same bikers, troublemakers, and ne'er-do-wells filled up Hot Legs every time she played, as well as a higher class of slummer she was seeing more and more of. It was only when she came to a place like the Hard Rock Cafe that she ran into a totally different audience. She was the one who was changing.

She dropped down to the flat of her feet then knelt to grab the tumbler of vodka and orange juice. Straightening she went back onto her toes to look out the window. She took a sip of her drink then placed it on the windowsill.

It had been a crazy night. Someone had mentioned something about a full moon because of all the craziness. Priss liked to think it had something to do with her music, maybe it did, but there had had been something else there, she was almost certain of it.

Outside she watched a group of young men and women, in dishevelled clothing, walking towards a limousine. Two of the men stopped and began kissing each other. Priss turned away and took a drink of her vodka. She was not a voyeur. When she looked out again the young men were running to catch up with their companions. A moment later they were all in their car and heading off to wherever.

Neither Nene nor Linna had been able to make it that night, which Priss had been a little disappointed about at first. After watching a bloody fight from the stage, and seeing people basically having sex while they danced, she was glad they had not made it. Every rocker needed a night like that, she thought, but she hoped it would not become a common occurrence.

"Hey Priss, Leon and me are going to hit the Ginza and see how much money we can waste. Wanna come?" Yuuko asked as she rushed into the room, grabbing her bass case.

"No. Thanks for the offer though." Priss looked over her shoulder.

"Okay, maybe next time then." Yuuko turned and was gone.

She closed the window, and then took her drink from the sill, finished it and dropped the empty glass onto one of the chairs.

Reaching behind her she slid her thumbs under the band of her skirt and twisted the clasp then pulled the zipper down. The skirt slid down around her bare feet, a puddle of red silk. She was feeling what her audience had felt; she was sure of it, and wanted to calm down a little before she started dealing with people. Picking up one of the towels from a pile by the door she headed towards the shower. Some cold water might do her some good.

* * *

Priss had a towel wrapped around her hair as she walked out into the club. She saw Kano sitting at a table, a bottle of gin in front of him. The cleaning staff was out in force, and the wait staff as well as the bouncers had been co-opted to help with the clean up effort.

She walked over to the table and sat down across from Kano. "Harsh night?"

He laughed softly, then took a drink of his gin. "You could say that."

"What's the damage like?"

"Nothing to major, though the club's reputation might take a hit."

"Doubt it." Priss reached across the table and grabbed the bottle of gin. Kano slid a glass and a bottle of tonic towards her. "People might say this was all terrible, but they will keep coming back, hoping that it will be repeated," she told him as she prepared her drink.

"It was all very weird."

"It was that."

"Rest of the band left?"

"Yeah. Parties and such," she told him.

"Why not you?"

"Don't feel like it tonight."

"Are you getting old Priss-san?"

"No, just smart. I'm feeling a bit too jumped up. If I go out tonight I'm probably going to get into a fight or something."

"I know the feeling."

Priss looked at Kano for a moment, then reached across the table, and grasped his hand. "How much do you know that feeling?"

Kano smiled. "Probably as much as you do, but you don't do anything for me."

Priss released his hand and leaned back in her chair. "Figures."

"What is it with you straight girls, always trying to bring us around? Tell me, is it some sort of secret conspiracy? Every time you sleep with a swish you get a mark on your bedpost?"

"Ingenious. How did you ever guess," Priss said sarcastically.

"Clean living. So, how's the living arrangements going?"

"It's all still in the lawyer stage. In a day, maybe two, it will be mine."

"Then what?"

"Clean the place out, get a carpenter in to take a look at things, figure out what I need to make the place livable."

"Expensive?"

"Probably. I'll figure it out."

"Got the loan yet?" he asked.

"It is arranged."

"What's the interest like?"

"2.4 percent."

"You're kidding?"

"No," Priss smiled slightly.

"How did you manage that?"

"Friends in powerful places."

"Drug dealers?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Priss asked as she picked up her gin and tonic.

"That is why I asked."

* * *

**March 7th, 09:37**

Domino was not showing any signs of the previous night's debaucheries. She did not really need much sleep, and her body dealt with alcohol almost as fast as she drank it. That was not to say that she was acting in a pleasant manner.

She was curt with her staff, polite yet distant. Her staff noticed.

Haruko knocked on Domino's door, then opened it. "Excuse me," she said.

Domino looked up from her work. "Yes?" she asked.  
"Odotte-sama..." Haruko said, then trailed off. She closed the door behind her.

"What is it Tetsu-san?"

"Have we, the staff, done anything wrong. Is our performance not at the required levels?"

"What are you talking about?" Domino asked her.

"You seem to be angry at us."

Domino sighed. "Your performance is fine, I have no complaints. You may let your colleagues know that they need not be concerned. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I do not want anything to cause a decrease in this office's productivity."

Haruko nodded, but did not say anything for a moment. "Are you all right?" she finally asked.

"Pardon?"

"I know it is not my place, but..." she paused again. "I sometimes worry about you."

"You do not have to," Domino said, making her tone sharp enough to make the point, yet not so sharp as to hurt.

"Yes Odotte-sama."

"Thank you for your concern, however. Have you finished up that report on the acquisition of Clarkson Shipping?"

"Yes Odotte-sama. I'm just checking everything over. It should be ready for you in an hour."

"Good work."

"Thank you Odotte-sama," Haruko said, bowing before leaving.

Domino watched her go then sighed. It was hard not to like Haruko and her colleagues, they were all very good workers, and very loyal. It would not do her any good to alienate her staff, even though she did not want to be too friendly with them. She did not want any friends at all.

* * *

"Wow, this is just a big empty," Miako said, looking around the factory floor.

"I like space," Priss told her, closing the door behind them.

"Going to race bikes in here or something?"

"Something like that," Priss told her. "Here, I want you to see this." Priss set off across the floor towards the tarp covered car she had noted earlier.

"What, junk?" Miako kicked a piece of rusting metal across the floor.

"Maybe," Priss told her. "You might know better."

"You've got me intrigued." Miako followed after Priss.

Priss stopped by the car, reaching out to grasp the tarp. She waited until Miako was close, then she flipped it up, pulling it up to reveal the car. "What do you think?"

Miako had stopped and was looking at the car Priss had revealed. "Oh my," she said.

"I take it that that is good?"

"Well, it all depends on whether this is an original or just a kit."

"So what is it, or what might it be?"

"You don't know?"

"I just know it looks like something fast and powerful."

"Well, you got both right. It is," Miako walked up to the car and pulled the tarp back some more, "maybe, a Shelby Cobra, 427. Why is there a cat in the front seat?"

"It lives there," Priss told her. "So, this is a good car?"

"Well, it depends on how you define good. It is a rare car, they only made something like three hundred. It's also an old car, about sixty years old."

"If it is real."

"True enough." Miako reached into the car. The cat growled at her, crouching down, the hair on its back raising. "Shut up!" Miako snapped at it. The cat actually looked shocked that it had been yelled at. She ran her hands over the dash, then gave the steering wheel a try. "Let's look under the hood."

Priss shrugged her shoulders and let Miako do as she wished. "Not a lot of rust," Miako noted as she reached for the hood release. "Body looks to be in good condition. Someone took care of it." She lifted the hood up, but instead of looking at the engine she looked at the underside of the hood. "Take a look at this."

"What?"

"It's been repainted at least once." She indicated the bands of different coloured paint. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the dirt and the grease away. "This white was probably the original colour, then it got painted blue, and then repainted a darker blue. It's been worked on. That will lower the potential value."

"Assuming it is not a kit car."

"I'm beginning to think that might not be the case." She looked down at the engine. "V-8, that's a good sign. 450 horsepower engine, if it is original. That will be eye popping. Thing's in a bit of a mess, but could be worse, I guess."

Priss nodded. "Want it?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm not much into cars. I was just curious."

"You can't give this away, or even sell it. You have to keep it."

"Why?"

"Because car otaku dream of things like this. You'd be insulting them by just giving it away. Plus, I couldn't afford to pay you a fair price."

"How much would it cost to repair it?"

"Hard to say, but I would think that it would not be too much. It looks to be in good shape. Get the right mechanic and you could probably get it in on the road easily enough. I think Raven-san could do it for you. My Miata just flies. I still can't believe anyone put a V-8 into one of those things." She shook her head.

Priss thought about it for a moment. It was not like that money from her work as a Knight Saber was doing all that much. And she could pay Raven under the table so no one would notice it. She looked at the car, suddenly feeling intrigued. "I'll think about it."

"You'll never regret it." Miako closed the hood. "Evict the cat though," she said as she grasped the tarp and pulled it clear.

"I'll have to find it a good home."

"Speaking of homes." Miako tossed the tarp aside. "You really going to live here?"

"Yes. The upper office areas will convert into living space easily enough."

"What are you going to do with all this room down here?" Miako turned about, indicating the large floor space with the gesture.

"A studio and parking."

"Expensive I bet."

"There are tax write-offs that will help."

"Tax write-offs? Priss-san, you sound positively corporate. You didn't sell out on us did you?"

"That's strange coming from the woman who wears suits and displays her work in big galleries."

"Point taken. Well, what now?"

"I've got to arrange for this place to be cleaned up, I think I can get a salvage company to pay to cart all this junk off. I also have a practice session this afternoon."

"Still playing at the Hard Rock?" She took a pack of cigarettes from her overcoat.

"Until the eighth."

"I think I'll come by tonight." She put the cigarette into her mouth.

"I'll have a ticket and back stage pass waiting for you if you want."

"Thanks," Miako said around the cigarette. She removed a small vial from her other pocket and unscrewed the cap.

Priss watched as Miako removed a small brush from the vial and began to brush it along the cigarette.

"What's that?" Priss asked.  
"Hashish oil," she mumbled, then put the brush back into the vial. She started screwing the cap back on, then stopped. "Want some? It's good stuff."

"No," Priss told her.

"Cool." She finished screwing the cap back on, returned the vial to her pocket, and then removed a lighter.

"Let's go," Priss said, starting towards the exit.

"Sure," Miako said as she lit up the cigarette.

* * *

Sylia sat behind a desk of scarred oak in a room not to her liking. She often thought it strange she had gone to such lengths to get that room looking exactly as it did.

Most of the furniture had been salvaged from the old house after the quake, what had been destroyed she had eventually replaced. For the most part the office was exactly as her father had left it, except for the curtain she had placed over the oil painting. She had drawn the velvet curtain back that day. She sat in the chair, behind the desk and looked at the painting.

Her mother sitting in a chair, Mackie on her lap, herself at eight at her mother's left, her father standing almost directly behind the chair but a little to the right.

She remembered posing for the picture. She had wanted to go out and play, to get out of the house. It had been a beautiful August day, the middle of o-bon. Tokyo had been almost empty, or as empty as it could get even during o-bon. It was one of the few times during the year Mount Fuji could been seen from the city.

Instead she had been in the house, wearing an uncomfortable white dress with too much frill for her tastes, and having to listen to Mackie cry. She had been more than a little of a pest that day to get back at her parents. Looking back at it always gave her an odd sense of nostalgia, regret, and happiness mixed together.

It was one of the best times to remember her father, before his boomer work had consumed him, before her mother's death.

She reached across the desk and picked up the old cordless phone. She tapped in the number and waited, hoping, almost, that it would not be answered.

"Hello, Justin Bestar, this better be good," the person on the other end said.

"Bestar-san, this is Stingray Sylia."

"Sylia? Well it's good to hear from you."

"If you still want my help I'd be interested in being of assistance."

"Of course I still want your help, thank you."

"There are some conditions."

"Conditions?"

"I want to see the guest list, and I want to be able to make changes."

"Sylia, there are certain people who really have to come no matter what your personal feelings may be."

"I doubt that I will take anyone off the list Bestar-san, but I may wish to add a few names."

"Oh. Well that's fine. You can invite as many people as you want, within reason of course."

"No prepared speeches either."

"Of course, though I would like to know what you are going to say, in advance."

"No."

"Pardon?" He sounded as if he was not sure he had heard right.

"No."

"Oh come on Sylia, as the organiser I have to know what you will be saying."

"I'm not particularly interested in helping you arrange damage control in case I upset some people. Anyway, even if I gave you a speech, you have no guarantee that would be the one I would read."

Justin was quiet for a moment then began to laugh. "You remind me of your father sometimes," he told her. "He could be stubborn over certain things as well."

"Do we have an agreement then?"

"Of course, I do need you after all. I'll fax you all the information right away."

"I'll be waiting. Good bye." Sylia cut the connection.

She looked up at the picture on the wall. She had something in common with Justin at that moment. She was also wondering what she was going to say about her father, and his work, come the banquet.

* * *

"Okay Ladies, this was the last rehearsal before things happen for real. I hope you appreciate that," Andrea called out to her dancers. "You've worked hard, and, as long as you keep your wits about you, you will have no reason to worry. So, get some rest tonight, and tomorrow will be a pretty relaxed day, right up until show time. Any questions?"

None of the dancers had any.

"Good," Andrea said. "Go."

The group of dancers gathered on the stage broke up, most making their way back towards the dressing and shower rooms, a few staying.

Linna remained where she was for a time, just staring out over the seats, picturing them full of people. It was exciting, and a little scary.

"You're going to be fine," Mako said to her.

"What?" Linna turned to face the other dancer.

"You looked nervous."

"Perhaps a little, but I've danced in front of people before. This will be easy compared to the audition I had to perform to become part of this troupe."

"There is that."

"I'm really looking forward to this. I've worked so hard. Well, we've all worked so hard."

"And all for four nights, and a matinee."

"It is a very brief run."

"That's just Kikuchi-sensei's way. She's never liked long runs of anything as I understand it. Claims that such runs are for the creatively bankrupt."

Linna laughed. "That sounds like something she would say."

"I think she is constantly pushing for perfection. She'll never find it if she keeps doing the same thing over and over."

"And she pulls us along with her."

"That's a good way to put it."

Linna nodded.

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"Well, a friend of mine is playing a show at a club. I really should try to make it. This will be my last chance for a while."

"What kind of show?"

"She's a singer, her and her band are playing at the Tokyo Hard Rock Café."

"I think I heard about that. A really good show they say."

"That sounds about right. Want to come?"

"Well, a few of us were thinking food and drinks, but this sounds good. Can you get us in though?"

"Depends on how many. I'll call my friend and see what she can do."

"Okay, I'll ask around and see if anyone wants to go."

"Sounds like the start of something. I'll go make the call and then meet you in the dressing room."

"Right."

* * *

"Where's Leon-san?" Nene asked as she walked into the office area.

"Captain McNichol is with Lieutenant Roberson," one of Leon's section commanders told her.

"Thanks," Nene said, then she turned and walked from the office. She had been putting off certain things and it was time that she dealt with them. The letter that had arrived at her home the previous night just confirmed that.

Shiroko Roberson was the ADP's weapon Boss. She was ultimately responsible for all the weapons in the ADP's armoury. She was also a little spooky.

The elevators down to the subbasement were secure, requiring Nene to swipe her card key through the reader and enter her security code. As the subbasements held most of the ADP's heavy weapons, the extra security was to be expected.

She stepped out of the elevator and was confronted by two members of the ADP Tac squads, fully armoured, holding their weapons at port. Nene showed them her ID, and they cleared her to pass through the security doors.

She was in a very large room, a number of the K-11s and K-12s were in the area, some moving about, and some being repaired. Nene was edging around one of the K-12s when it suddenly turned, forcing Nene to duck or be hit by the thing.

"Hey, watch it!" Nene snapped.

"Just testing," the pilot said from the cockpit.

"Testing what!"

"Your reflexes."

"Don't do me any favours," Nene told him, then continued on. "Baka(idiot)," Nene said softly. "And people say I'm immature."

Shiroko's office was near the back of the room. She had a large, glass wall that allowed her to look out at the work bay. The blinds had been drawn over that window.

She walked up to the office door and was about to knock, then stopped. If Leon was in an important meeting she really should not disturb him with what was not a terribly urgent matter. Then again, it was likely that all Leon and Shiroko were doing were talking guns.

Well, it probably wouldn't hurt find out how much longer Leon was going to be, she told herself as she knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard a muffled voice call.

Nene took a deep breath, then pushed the door open. Leon and Shiroko were there, gathered around her desk which was covered in various things, including Leon's Earth Shaker.

"Nene-chan, what is it?" Leon asked.

"I need to talk to you," Nene told him.

"Later,' Leon said. "Unless it is an emergency."

"It is not an emergency."

"Good, shut the door and come here," Shiroko said.

Shiroko would have been a striking woman no matter where she was. In Japan she stood out a little more. She was an albino; her skin the colour of paper, as was her hair, and her eyes were red. She was also tall, taller than Leon by a centimetre or two, as well as being willowy thin. She had shaved the hair from the left side of her head, sort of a half mohawk.

She smiled at Nene, a friendly smile that did not look friendly, to Nene. She closed the door and walked over to the desk.

"So Romanova-san, I don't see you down here to often."

"I don't have much reason to come," Nene said, trying to be polite.

"Boo," Shiroko said.

"What?" Nene asked.

"Just messing with you."

"Leave Nene-chan alone," Leon told her. "She's delicate."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nene asked Leon.

"I'm just trying to help."

Shiroko laughed. "Here Romanova-san, wipe these off," she said, handing Nene a soft cloth and several large rounds.

Nene took the items. "What are you doing?"

"Well, the rounds I use in my Earth Shaker are already hot loads, but Shiroko-san thinks we can make them hotter."

"Not to mention more effective."

"Hot loads?" Nene asked as she began to wipe the rounds off.

"More explosive force than you would expect," Shiroko explained. "Of course, with a fifty calibre pistol round, saying it is a hot load might be redundant."

"Nene looked down at the cartridge she was wiping off. "Is this going to blow up in my hands?"

"Very unlikely," Shiroko told her coldly. "My work is no where near that poor."

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted. Anyhow, since Leon now has two Earth Shakers and his mysterious source has given us detailed specs on the weapon, I thought we could experiment." Shiroko looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know Leon-san, you still have not told me just who your source is."

"Imagine that."

"Hardly fair."

"That's life."

"I don't know why I am helping you."

"Because you desperately want to fire a few rounds through this thing and this is the only way you'll get a chance," Leon said.

"Not to mention I want to try out my home cooked HEAP rounds."

"Not to mention."

"High explosive, armour piercing?" Nene asked. She had learned a little about weapons and ammunition during her time in the ADP.

"Gold star for you," Shiroko told her. "Genom, and others, have had these things in personal arm size for years, but they won't let us have them. I've been experimenting for a couple of years on my own design."

"Is this legal?"

"No," Leon told her, "but it's not the first time, ne?" He smiled at Nene.

"There is that," Nene admitted.

Leon and Shiroko made the rounds, loading them with powder then crimping the casings around her HEAP projectiles. Nene wiped the rounds clean, which she was fairly certain was not a necessary job, but it kept her busy.

Some time later they had sixty of the rounds ready and packed into two boxes. "To the range," Shiroko said.

"I'll go up an wait in the office," Nene told Leon.

"I don't think so," Shiroko said.

"Pardon?" Nene asked.

"You helped to make these," she held up one of the boxes. "You should at least get a chance to send one or two of them down range."

"But I don't want to."

"Nonsense," Shiroko told her. "Now come along."

"I'd do what she says," Leon advised her.

"Romanova-san, bring those two briefcases behind my desk, will you?"

Nene grabbed the briefcases and then followed after Shiroko and Leon to the firing range.

* * *

"How are your wrists?" Leon asked as he handed her an ice pack.

"They still hurt," Nene told him. "But that is fading." She put the ice pack around her wrist.

"Good. So," Leon took a seat across from her, "what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you..." Nene trailed off. "I wanted to..." Nene reached inside her uniform jacket and handed Leon a piece of paper, folded into a rectangle, the ends folded in. On it was written, 'resignation'.

Leon took it, staring at it for a moment. He seemed to fall in on himself slightly as he began to fold back to edges. Nene reached out and stopped him, putting her hand over his. "That is just official, I want to tell you."

Leon looked at her. "Okay."

Nene took a deep breath. "I should have told you sooner I guess, especially after you gave me the promotion, but I guess I was not sure, or I just did not want to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"I'm going back to school, well, not back, but on to university."

"You're going to University?'

"Yes."

"So you are leaving the ADP to go to university?"

"Yes."

Leon suddenly smiled and sat up straight. "Good."

"What?"

"Not that you are leaving Nene-chan, but the reason you are leaving."

"Pardon?"

"I've seen a lot of these over my time in the ADP," Leon said, waving Nene's resignation letter in his hand. "Usually I hear how they have seen one too many colleague die, or that their wife or husband was having a nervous breakdown out of fear, or that they themselves are the ones near breakdown." Leon shook his head. "I always feel like they are running away from, something, that the ADP has become something which breaks people. It's good to hear about someone who is leaving because they can go onto something better."

"I never thought about it that way."

"So, when do you plan to leave?"

"Classes at Gendai..."

"Genom Daigaku?"

"Yes," Nene said, trying not to sound hesitant, and failing.

Leon laughed softly. "You don't do things small do you? Why Gendai?"

"They offer a lot."

"If you say so. So, when are you leaving?"

"Classes start April 10th, though there are various orientation days that start on the 7th, and an entrance ceremony on the 6th. So, I guess on the 5th?"

"We'll have to get a lot done before then, and not just planning your farewell party." Leon smiled.

"This is going to be painful," Nene said.

"You bet. Still going to be able to come down here and give me a hand with information acquisition?"

"You'll treat me to lunch, or dinner, or whatever?"

"If that is what it takes."

"You'll see me around here then."

"Good." Leon got to his feet. "Come on. Let's go find Daily, and then we'll go out and have a few drinks."

"Can I invite Wada-san?"

Leon did not say anything for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, if you want."

* * *

**Cultural Notes:  
**O-bon, the festival of the Dead, takes place during three days in August on the 14 to 16th (though it also may be celebrated in July). During this time the dead are said to return to their graves so family members gather together to clean the grave sights and make various offerings to their ancestors. It is during this time that lanterns are lit and placed on rivers as part of the offerings, in case you were curious.

Because many people's ancestors are interred in small, family grave sights out in the country, during this time trains and such will be packed. Large cities, such at Tokyo, will see a notable decrease in their population during this time.

_"Singlemindedness is all-powerful"_  
-**Yamamoto Jin'emon**


	21. Satisfaction For A Sin 4

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (4 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.  
**Delight in Disorder, written by Robert Herrick (1591-1674)**

Soft music, classical, played from the hidden speakers, filled the office. Domino sat in her chair, looking out her window at the city below. The sun had set and below her was a field of lights. Quite beautiful really.

There was a knock on her door. "Come in," Domino said.

Rebecca Lin entered her office. She was carrying her laptop computer tucked under her arm. "Do you have time?" Rebecca asked her.

"Some. What is it Miss Lin?"

"I think I have something."

"Please, have a seat," Domino said.

Rebecca crossed across the room and took a seat in front of the desk. Her feet did not quite reach the floor. "I've been watching some of the things you wanted me to. It might have been easier if you gave me a higher clearance."

"Good try Miss Lin. Continue."

"Well, I've been watching the computers during the large, file transfers when you are sending information to other Towers."

"Those are one way gate transfers. You cannot hack the computers through them."

"I know, but your worry was someone inside."

"Yes. And what did you find?"

"This," she took a disk from her pocket and held out towards Domino.

Domino shifted forward and took it. She looked at Rebecca for a moment, then sat back, slid the disk into her computer, and then accessed the information on it. Information began to scroll across her screen, records of file transfers, and who had made them. It was jut raw information. Rebecca had not tagged anything, which was how Domino liked things. She wanted to make her own decisions on the information.

It did not take her long to spot what had concerned Rebecca. Legal access into an area of high security, masked by the larger file transfer taking place at that time. "Have these records been cleaned up?"

"Yes, another smoothing of the records."

"How good is this person, in your opinion?"

"Good, but not a hacker by any means."

"You don't know who made this access do you?"

"I'm not cleared for that."

"You don't know what information was taken either?"

"Again, I don't have access."

Domino nodded. "Good, Do yourself a favour, don't ever try to find out."

"You've piqued my curiosity."

"Don't act on that. It might get you killed."

Rebecca nodded after a few seconds had passed. "I understand."

"Good. Thank you for your work."

Rebecca tried to hide the fact she enjoyed the compliment, but not very well. "I'm just doing my job. I guess I owe you that."

"Of course," Domino said.

"I'm going now," she said.

"Have a good evening."

Rebecca nodded, then got out of the chair, turned and walked to the door, closing it behind her as she left.

Domino waited a few seconds then picked up her NAVI and entered the number for special security. "This is Odotte," Domino said when she got through. "I want to arrange for a very discreet security watch on someone."

* * *

It had been another packed night at the Hard Rock. The Replicants had played three encores before it was all over. Priss had been happy to get off the stage at the end, even though she had loved performing.

Having just showered, she was sitting on the couch, drinking down a bottle of water. She still had not dressed, but the towels covered her well enough. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Priss called out, not bothering to get up from the couch.

The door opened and Linna entered. "That was a great show,' Linna told her. "Maybe one of your best!"

"Thanks," Priss said. "I'm glad you were finally able to make it."

"Well, it's been busy. You're playing tomorrow right?'

"Last night, for a while at least."

"Too bad, I was hoping you might be able to make it to my opening night."

"No luck," Priss said, standing up. "Maybe one of the other nights, though I have to admit that it does not sound very interesting."

"I think you'll be surprised."

Priss did not say anything, she just walked behind a screen. A moment later the towels she had been covering herself were tossed over the side. The material of the screen was opaque, so Linna could make out Priss' form as she dressed.

The door to the shower room opened and Norio walked out. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and was using another to dry his long, black hair. "Oi Linna-san, hisashiburi desu ne(long time no see)," he said.

"Hey Norio-san, you're looking good," she smiled at him.

"I try," he told her, flexing his muscles.

"Yeah, you're a real stud," Priss said, walking out from behind the screen. She was wearing a T-shirt that went down to the top of her thighs, covering her well enough. She grabbed a pair of pants from off the back of a nearby chair. "Get dressed before that towel falls off and me and Linna laugh ourselves to death.

"You're cruel Priss-san," he said to her, walking towards the screen.

"So, how is the rest of the band?" Linna asked Priss.

"About the same as ever."

"That bad?"

Priss smiled. "You know it. So, why did you need five tickets set aside for you?"

"Some friends from the dance troupe. They really like your music."

"Good."

"So, are you doing anything..." Linna began.

The door opened and Miako Forest entered. "Priss-san, great show."

"Thanks," Priss said.

"Who's your friend?" Miako asked.

"Yamazaki Linna desu," Linna said. "Dozo yoroshiku(pleased to meet you)."

"Forest Miako, yoroshiku ne. So, you a friend of Priss-san's?"

"Yes."

"I'm a friend too," Norio said, leaning around the screen.

"Glad to hear it." Miako smiled as she reached into her pocket and brought forth a white, plastic bottle. "Ecstasy, pharmaceutical grade, none of the crunchy crap cooked up in some dorm room." She shook the bottle, causing the pills to rattle.

"Drugs?" Linna asked, a little surprised.

"That would be the point. So, who's up for a little enjoyment?"

"No!" Linna said, much more forceful than needed.

"A moral objector," Miako said, laughing at Linna.

"Not my thing," Priss said simply.

"Pharmaceutical grade you say?" Norio came out from behind the screen, pulling on his T-shirt.

"Only the best." She tossed the bottle to Norio. He caught it and opened it. "So." She turned to Linna. "Against drugs in general, or is it just the synthesised ones?"

"I'm not about to destroy my mind for a little pleasure and a lot of pain."

"That's very good," Miako said. "I mean, you kept a straight face and everything."

"That's enough," Priss told Miako. "Let's not have any fights here."

"I think I'll go back to my friends, they are probably missing me. I hope you'll be able to make it to the performance before it closes Priss."

"I'll try."

"Later," Linna said, then left the room.

"She looks like she will not be much fun," Miako said to Priss.

"Careful you don't push her too hard. She could seriously hurt you if she ever decided to."

"Suggestion noted."

"Hey," Norio said. When Miako and Priss turned to look at him he tossed the bottle back to Miako. "I just took one."

Miako caught the bottle. "Enjoy it," she told him, putting the bottle back in her pocket. "So, want to do anything Priss? Maybe a crawl through Roppongi?"

"Not tonight," Priss said as she walked over to the closet. "I promised someone that I'd celebrate their acceptance to University. It is all terribly domestic, but I owe them."

"How very dull. Oh well." She looked over at Norio. "Want to enjoy being toasted together?"

Norio thought about it. "I won't say 'no' to such an offer."

"Good," she walked over to him. "Next time ne, Priss."

"Next time," Priss said as she walked towards the door.

* * *

**March 8th, Wednesday, 01:23**

Domino listened as D made her report. Her elbows were on her desk, her palms together, fingers steepled, chin resting upon fingertips. Eyes closed, she let herself absorb all the information.

Still so many holes, she thought, so much she still did not know. Things were going well though, it was only a matter of time.

"Did you discover anything new about Rathen?"

"Nothing we did not know before. I did hear some more rumours about where his mistress might be, but still have nothing concrete. She could be dead or alive."

"I wonder if she is a ghost, a rumour started to make us chase shadows and ignore something of importance?"

"What have we ignored?" D asked.

"A good question, what have we ignored?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Do you wish me to continue my investigation into Rathen-san?"

"I'd like to talk about something else first."

"What?"

Domino reached down and pulled a drawer open. She placed a disk case up on the desktop. "This."

D looked at the disk case, wondering what it was about. She recognised the type. They were used to store huge amounts of datathey were very expensive.

"What do you think?" Domino asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Perhaps this will help." Domino turned the case around. Written on the case's label in D's own handwriting was 'Brian J. Mason'.

"I see," the boomer said.

"Two days ago the Chairman called me into his office. He wanted to know why all the copies of this data had not been destroyed as he had asked, as he had ordered. I want to know as well."

"I'm sorry," D said

"You're sorry? By keeping those copies you put both our lives in jeopardy."

"I had no choice."

"Why not?" Domino demanded.

"It's my basic reason for existence. To protect Mason-sama, no matter what occurs. That data, you, are all that is left of him. If anything were to happen to you..."

"You would just start again, another person for you to serve." Domino could not keep the note of displeasure from her voice.

"It is my basic programming," D said defensively. "I have no choice."

"Of course you have a choice, rise above it."

"I'm more boomer than you," D said softly. "Yet even you have not managed to rise above your basic programming."

"What are you talking about?"

"You live to serve. Right now you serve yourself but in the presence of a strong personality like Devon-sama or the Chairman you adapt to their wishes."

Domino was quiet for a long time. D sat in the chair, doing her best not to stare at Domino without obviously looking away.

"Perhaps, but that is not what this is about. I need to know if I can trust you."

"Do you even have to ask that?"

"Yes. Brain J. Mason is dead. You are going to have to accept that."

"He is not. You..."

"I am not Mason," Domino snapped. "Largo was not Mason. Put this damn thing," Domino hit casing with her fist, "into as many bodies as you want, you will still never recreate him. He's dead."

D said nothing. A look of anger crossed her face for a moment.

Domino looked at her then reached into her jacket and brought out a Same chain knife. She squeezed the trigger and the ceramic teeth began to move. "The copies from Cairo, Switzerland, Calgary, Moscow, Sapporo, and Singapore have all been destroyed. That leaves only this one from Shinjuku."

"Yes," D said.

"I have a job to complete," Domino said. She lowered the blade towards the casing. She watched as D leapt from her chair then suddenly stopped, holding herself in check. Domino nodded slightly then brought the blade down.

Angling the knife so the chips of plastic flew down onto her desk instead of into her face Domino sawed through it. The teeth bit into the hard plastic of the disks within the carrier, shattering the material as it passed through it.

Before she began to cut into her desk Domino shut the saw off and pulled it from the ruined carrier. After placing the chain knife on her desktop she picked up the carrier and snapped it in two. The halved, ruined disks rained out onto her blotter.

"We are done with this are we not?" Domino asked.

"Yes," D said softly.

"Good." Domino let the empty halves of the carrier drop. "I need all the information I can get on who is threatening us. Get it for me," she told D, business as usual.

"I'll start right away."

"Do so."

D turned away and walked towards the door. She had to be careful not to let too much show. She had adopted many of the habits of the humans around her. They could give her away.

"You forgot to tell me about the one you hid in the special weapons vault," D heard from behind her, a moment before something punched through her shoulder blade and lodged itself deep in her chest.

Three more impacts followed. The small of her back, the base of her neck, and her right thigh. She fell forward against the unopened door, her head bouncing hard off the armour. Unable to do anything else she fell backwards, lying sprawled on the floor. A moment later the first projectile exploded.

She almost died right there. Each hit had taken out a vital part of her systems, the backups and rerouters that would have allowed her to keep functioning. The explosion in her chest had taken out most of her power and computer systems. All she had left was the organic and computer backups in her head. Not much to go on really.

She had audio and visual input still and olfactory she realised, identifying the smell her spilt internal fluids. She heard Domino walking towards her, identified her with a hundred percent accuracy by the sounds of her footsteps. She was walking slowly. D guessed she would put the next bullet in her head to complete the shutdown. She was surprised when Domino knelt down and pulled her head onto her lap.

"You didn't give me any other choice," Domino said.

"I understand," D said softly, surprised she could still speak. "I am sorry."

"It doesn't help much now," Domino told her as she brushed some of D's hair away from her eyes.

"Will this help you regain Quincy-san's trust?"

"I think so."

"I'm glad I helped this one last time then."

"You helped to clean up a mess of your own."

"You were the only one I really liked," D said, a mixture of various fluids escaping her mouth in a thin stream. Domino wiped them away with her handkerchief. "But in the end I had to be true to my basic program."

"So you say."

"Can't you believe me?" D asked. She suddenly felt it very important that Domino realise just how much she had cared.

"I don't think so."

D closed her eyes. That hurt. She suddenly wished she had never achieved sentience. "Will you bring me back, this body?" D asked, more fluid escaping from the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know," Domino said. "You are a valuable piece of equipment."

"That hurts."

"Good," Domino said. "You deserved it."

"I am sorry."

"You betrayed me."

D was about to reply when another of the rounds exploded. Her body jerked slightly, more systems shut down. After a moment she managed to say, "I don't think I have much time left."

"No," Domino said, lowering her head. Her hair fell forward, like a curtain, now D could only see her face, and the waves of blackness around her.

"Will you forgive me?"

"I don't know. I doubt I ever can. You betrayed me."

She looked up at Domino for a moment. She did not know what to say, then it came to her. "A sweet disorder in the dress," she began, then another of the rounds went off, followed quickly by the final one. D's eyes opened wide for a moment, a look of surprise on her face, and then it was over. Her last sight was of Domino's face, and her eyes, looking down at her own.

* * *

Domino watched D's eyes go dead. She could feel the still warm fluids from D's body soaking into her clothes, against her skin. Reaching down, she closed D's eyes with her fingers, then she straightened up. After a moment she brought her hands up to her face, covering her eyes so she would not have to see anymore.

Damn Quincy, she thought angrily, not daring to give voice to those words. He had forced her to kill her friend. And damn herself, damn her for being cruel in the end, for making D hurt, for the petty bit of revenge. If she had ever doubted her humanity she no longer did. It took emotions to be that cruel. It took humanity.

D had been right. She was as much a prisoner to her own programming as D had been to hers.

But D had given her a new chance.

She would ensure that she did not waste it.

"You were my friend, D-san," Domino whispered.

She got to her feet and stumbled over to her desk, taking deep breaths. Domino leaned against her desk, bringing herself back under control.

After a moment she reached for her NAVI and placed a call. A short time later a group of janitorial boomers showed up. With their aid she cleaned up the mess, leaving no sign that anything had happened. When everything was finished Domino planned to wipe their memories. It was not that there was any real problem in killing a boomer-she certainly could not be charged for murder-but Domino felt she should not treat D's murder as unimportant.

* * *

There were many graves on Kouya-san(mount Kouya); no small number of them had been set up by corporations and companies to take care of their employees even unto death. Genom had one of the more elaborate ones. There were daily prayer services held by the Buddhist monks of the Shingon monastery at the site.

The graveyard saw many visitors each day. That cold Wednesday morning, the sides of the mountain dusted in snow, was no different.

Domino walked up the freshly cleared path. Her long leather coatthe same one she had worn at the Hard Rock Caféflaring out behind her like black wings as the cold wind blew by her. She stared ahead at the black marble monolith that marked the Genom grave site.

Held tightly to her chest was a simple urn of baked clay. It was heavy in her hands. Cremating a boomer had not proven an easy task. It had entailed more grinding than burning.

She could have had the 33-C rebuilt, repaired, but it would not have been D. It would not have had her experiences or her skills. It would not have had her love for poetry. In the end it would have been pointless. Then there was D's request to be allowed to die. Domino respected that, no matter what she might have said.

She reached the grave site; two monks were there, waiting for her. They had already drawn back one of the stone covers, revealing the chamber underneath. There were a number of small sachets there as well as few full sized urns. Most employees were buried at family sites with only a small portion of their ashes, and in many cases not even that, being placed at the Genom grave site.

Domino knelt down and carefully placed the urn into the chamber, making sure it was standing up right. She put it next to the urn that held Mason's ashes, sure D would like that.

She knelt there for a time then slowly got to her feet.

"Sayonara D-san."

She stood by the grave site for a time, wondering about herself, who and what she was. She would miss D, that thought was not so much of a surprise to her. D had been her first friend she realised. Now she was gone. Domino had killed her because it was necessary.

Perhaps she should have shown more loyalty to the boomer, in ways both older sister and mother to her. She stuffed her hands deep into the pockets of her coat and drew it about herself, suddenly feeling cold. It had nothing to do with the temperature though.

"Seal it," she told the monks as she turned away from them and the open chamber.

One of the monks approached her, holding a small, silk wrapped object in his hands. He handed it over to Domino. Domino thanked him and took it.

She had no choice in what she had done and would do, Domino thought as she started down the walkway. The path she had set herself on demanded so much from her and she had no choice but to give it. She no longer had any choice but to follow the path, there were too many pressures pushing her along. To stop would mean destruction. To stop would mean betrayal.

It was the first time she had ever questioned her goals.

As she reached the parking lot where her helicopter had landedshattering the early morning peaceshe realised something. She wanted it that way. She craved the challenge.

And if the price was high, well what point in playing the game unless the stakes meant something? The loss this time was staggering but it put her in a position to gain so much.

Such was life. Such was her life.

"Get me back to MegaTokyo," Domino ordered the pilot as she climbed into the aircraft.

"Yes Odotte-sama," the pilot said. She reached up and flipped switches, turning on the electronics systems, then started up the engines.

Domino was not really paying attention. She put on her seat belt and then placed the object the monk had given her on her lap. Pulling the silk back revealed an Ihai, the black, lacquered tablet with the name of one dead written on it. She had had it made for D.

The monks probably had not given too much thought about her request for an Ihai for a boomer. Such requests had been made before, Domino knew that. Some boomers became so human that it was impossible not to be worried about their spirits when they died. Mason had known an executive who had Ihai made for lost combat boomers, worried that their warrior spirits might come back for him.

She wrapped the Ihai up again and placed it on seat beside her. She picked up the leather bound book beside it and began flipping through the pages.

She had found the book, as well as many others, among D's effects. It was strange that D liked books so much, such an old fashioned way of presenting information. She flipped through the pages, looking for a poem. She found it near the beginning of the book. Leaning back in the seat she read through it quietly:

_"A sweet disorder in the dress/Kindles in clothes a wantonness./A lawn about the shoulders thrown/Into a fine distraction;/An erring lace, which here and there/Enthralls the crimson stomacher;/A cuff neglectful, and thereby/Ribbons to flow confusedly;/A winning wave, deserving note/In the tempestuous petticoat;/A careless shoestring, in whose tie/I see a wild civility;/Do more bewitch me than when art/Is too precise in every part."_

Domino shut the book. "Sayonara D-san."

* * *

"Asagiri-san?" the man, Eiji Kamiya, asked, standing up from behind his desk.

"Yes," Priss nodded.

"I'm glad you could make it so early."

"It was no problem," Priss told the architect.

"Good. Please, have a seat."

Priss sat, as did Eiji. "I've been looking over the plans you have sent me. The building inspector has also sent me a report."

"What's the word?"

"Not bad, all things considered. Minor repairs needed all over, but nothing too expensive. You can go ahead whenever you want."

"All right, what about the living quarters?"

"I've drawn out some plans," he told her, laying some blue prints on the desk. The bathroom and kitchen will go along the inner walls, so we can run the water and drainage pipes along them. The front entrance opens up to a living room, as you wished, with three separate rooms. You know, we could get a few more rooms in here if you want."

"I want things to be spacious," Priss told him.

"All right, actually, there are a few changes I can make. I was planning on covering those windows up, putting walls there instead, but if you want we can leave them, that will make things look more open."

"Sounds good. What about skylights?"

"No problem. What sort of layout are you looking at?"

"A lot. One in every room. What about privacy?"

"We can put in polarising glass, and an interior, steel shutter system for both privacy and security. If you want that of course."

"I'll think about it." Priss picked up the plans he had drawn out and looked over them. "This looks fine, for the most part." She placed the plans back on his desk. "What about the rehearsal area and recording studio?"

"I've looked into that. Where do you want to put it?"

"There's a big shower and locker room on the first floor. I was thinking that would be a good place to set it up in."

"Let's see." Eiji turned to a computer and tapped a few keys, then reached out and touched the screen. "It could work. Just a moment, I picked up a program that we can use to set up a model, then we can play with it. Come around and take a look at this."

Priss got up and circled around the desk. He was entering information on the keyboard.

"First we put in the basic dimensions, then information on location of doors, the covering of the walls, floor and ceiling, and that sort of thing. We'll take note of the shower heads and fixtures, though of course we will remove them," as he said that he touched the screen, dragging his finger across it to add things to the virtual room he was putting together. It took him several minutes before he was pleased with had he had.

"Now what?" Priss asked.

"Now we test it for acoustics with a simulated tone."

They watched as the information was presented, how the sound waves behaved in the room.

"Bit of a mess,' Priss said.

"To be expected I guess," he told her. "We'll just add something to absorb the sound. Say carpet," he made some changes and tested the room once again with a simulated tone.

Priss watched and made suggestions, based on what she wanted. Eventually they went with shell walls being built against the original walls. It provided a place to run wiring, as well as the best sound qualities.

"That should do it," he told her.

"Now what?" Priss asked as she returned to her seat.

"Well, do you want to carry through with construction?"

"That was the plan."

"Have you hired a contractor yet?"

"No. Do you have any suggestions?"

"There is a company I often work with. They do good work. Mibashi Construction."

Priss nodded. "So I've heard."

"You've done some research?"

"A friend of mine did some. Checked out incidents of complaints against various contractors and other things. Mibashi came out well. Since they also do most of your jobs, I guess you get some sort of kick back from them."

"No, I mean..."

"Don't worry about it," Priss told him. "I have no problem with that. They know your style, so they'll get everything right. So, how much will it cost."

He looked at Priss for a moment, still off balance from what she had said. Then he nodded and turned back to his computer. "For materials and labour, not including my fee of course, four million yen."

Priss thought about it for a moment. "Three million."

"That's hardly a fair price."

"That's the estimate three other contractors have given me."

"Three million, eight hundred thousand."

"Three million, two."

"Who were these other contractors?"

"One of them was Daiichi Industries."

"They handle everything like it was on an assembly line. They'll do the work well enough, but it will be uninspired. Three million, seven."

"Three million, four hundred thousand."

He thought about it for a moment. "Done."

"Good."

"I'll have the contracts drawn up, you can sign them tomorrow."

"When will work begin?"

"I can't say for sure of course, but, the tenth seems likely."

"And how long to finish?"

"A week, perhaps a little less."

"All right. I'll stop by tomorrow to sign."

* * *

Sylia down shifted as she twisted the wheel, cutting in close to the inside of the curve, almost hitting one of the other cars. She let the wheels come around straight, then shifted up, putting her foot down on the accelerator. The track ahead of her was straight for a timeit did not require so much attention from her.

She turned her head and looked over at Fargo. "This is a new one."

"You didn't like the opium den, I though something lighter this time."

Sylia shook her head and turned back to the game screen, shifting up into a higher gear to pass Fargo's car.

"You're good," Fargo said. "Are you sure that you don't come here on your own?"

Sylia smiled ever so slightly. The thought of her spending time in game centres was rather amusing. Even when she had been in high school she had not spent a lot of time in such places. "Natural talent," Sylia told him, then jerked her wheel to the side, swiping into Fargo's car, sending it off the track.

"Hardly fair," Fargo laughed, working to keep the digital car from slamming into something.

"What is it you wanted to meet about?"

"Job offer, well, possibly."

"Possibly?" Sylia asked, sliding between two of the other cars.

"They want to put you on retainer. Make sure you are there in case they need you."

"How long?"

"A week, maybe two at the most. Whoa!" he cried out, trying to avoid a crash and failing.

"How much?" Sylia asked, threading the car through a set of curves.

"Four hundred thousand yen a day, for not taking any other jobs, and for doing the job they might need you for."

"I want a guaranteed limit of two weeks on this. What is the job they want?"

"I can arrange that. As for the job, they would not say exactly, but it is an extraction mission. A person."

"Who?"

"They would not say."

"Why do they need an extraction team?"

"They would not say."

"I don't particularly care for this. Still," she paused for a moment, "what will they pay for the job?"

"It will depend on a number of things, but the starting sum is ten million yen. It goes up if you complete the job."

"I want one million yen a day while I'm waiting and I will not be involved in an unwilling extraction."

"I'll make sure that they know that. I'm not sure they will go as high as a million. Are you looking to see how desperate they are?"

"That is the plan."

"If they won't pay that?"

"I'll go as low as a half million."

"I'll get back to you as soon as I know."

"Good," Sylia said as her car crossed the finish line just behind the lead car. The second place graphics played out.

* * *

Almost all the audience had been seated a few minutes before the show was to start. The house lights were up and people chatted with each other. Many of them were friends, some of whom had been attending Andrea Kikuchi's shows since she began them. It was a chance to catch up with old friends. Many talked about what they might see that night. Kikuchi-san's reputation was very good and most everyone was expecting something wonderful.

Two rows behind the front row, and on the aisle, Nene and her parents were seated. Nene was looking forward to the performance and her only regret was the neither Priss nor Sylia had managed to make it. Well, Priss was working, her last night at the Hard Rock, so she had an excuse. Nene had to admit to being a little disappointed that Sylia had not been able to make it. She of course understood Sylia's concerns, but the occasional breaking of the rules would not hurt anyone. It was not as if they had to sit together.

She took the program and flipped through it, noting the names of the dancers, and the roles they had. There was Linna's name, next to 'Nistirian' the demon. Nene thought playing a demon would be a poor role, but Linna had seemed very excited about it.

In the front row, on the aisle end opposite to where Nene and her parents sat, Domino and Devon were seated. Devon had been a fan of Andrea Kikuchi for quite some time; in fact he made a number of large donations to her dance company every year.

He had invited Domino a few days prior-he always enjoyed her company. Unfortunately something was bothering her, so Devon was sure she was not going to enjoy the entertainment as much as she might have otherwise. That was unfortunate.

He had thought to pry, in an attempt to discover what was upsetting her. It would not have been too difficult for him. He would not though, out of respect to her privacy.

The house lights dimmed slowly, indicating that the performance was about to start. By the time the lights had gone out, the audience was silent.

The music began, fast and shrill, the curtain parted, and the dancers moved out onto stage.

* * *

For Linna it was a night of excitement and power. She came on in the first routine, with all the other dancers, a quick, flashy entrance that had more in common with Peking Opera than more traditional Japanese dance. Kikuchi-sensei liked moving into other styles where needed.

After that she came on again in a longer piece where she played at terrifying some other dancers.

There was not the same sense of story that there might be in a ballet, it was a little more free form. That had confused Linna a little, but it had been explained to her that Kikuchi-sensei liked things that way. It allowed the audience to see what they wanted.

To Linna it was a story about the triumph of good over evil, rather simple really. Mako, on the other hand, saw the story as being more about the fact that, when one really got down to it, there was no good or evil.

As she left the stage she wondered what the audience thought.

She had a few more appearances on stage before the big fight scene. Her big scene.

When it finally came it went off as it had in rehearsal, perhaps even a little better. She and Mako swung the swords about them, attack, block, parry, feint, cut, leap back, and so on. It was quite the scene really. And then Linna was beaten back, and exited the stage.

She slumped down in a chair backstage and took her mask off. One of the assistants handed her a towel. She thanked the girl and wiped the perspiration from her face. She leaned back in the chair and smiled. She was feeling very good, and quite pleased with herself.

* * *

After the dance had ended there was a party in one of the larger rooms backstage. It was a little crowded, but no one seemed to mind.

"That was great Linna-san," Nene said, smiling at her.

"Thank you," Linna told her, smiling as well. She had changed out of her costume and into something suitable for the partylong skirt, blouse and a jacket.

"It was quite the dance, not really traditional."

"Well, Kikuchi-sensei did not say it would be traditional."

"But she gets government grants on the basis that she keeps a tradition alive."

"And I do,' Andrea said, coming up behind Nene.

Nene looked over her shoulder at the woman. "Uh, gomen na sai(I'm sorry)," she said.

"That's all right. Linna-san, who is your friend?"

"Sensei, this is Romanova Nene-san."

"Dozo yoroshiku(pleased to meet you)," Nene said.

Andrea smiled. "Kochira koso(likewise). As to your comment about the nature of my grants, I do indeed keep the traditions alive, but for routines like tonight's I like to mix things Romanova-san."

"Well, I wasn't complaining," Nene told her. "It was quite good."

"Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I did," Nene said enthusiastically.

"If you'll excuse me," Andrea said with a slight bow, then she went off to another part of the room.

"I better go see what my kaasan(mother) is up to," Nene said, looking around. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Talk to you later," Linna said as she watched Nene walk off.

"Excuse me," someone said from behind her. Linna turned to find herself facing an older man. He was tall, with a strong build, though slightly stooped by age, and his grey hair was still thick. Linna thought he was rather handsome and distinguished.

For a moment Linna thought she saw something like surprise in his eyes, but it was gone before she could say for sure. "Yes?"

"You danced the Nistirian part?"

"Yes."

"I'd just like to tell you that I enjoyed your performance."

"Thank you," Linna smiled at him, noting the suit he wore, and the Rolex on his wrist. He had some money by the looks of things. "I'm Linna Yamazaki, pleased to meet you."

"Okami Devon," he told her.

"Thank you for your compliment Okami-san."

"You deserved it," he said. "You're a very beautiful dancer."

Linna smiled at the compliment. She wondered if the man was trying to pick her up. "You are very kind."

"Not at all."

"Ah, Devon-san, I see you found her," Andrea said as she walked up to them.

"Yes, thank you Andrea-san."

"Yamazaki-san, Devon-san has been a large contributor to my dance company for some years."

"Really?" Linna said, looking between Andrea and Devon for a moment. She turned and bowed towards Devon. "Thank you very much. You helped me realise my dreams," she said.

Devon smiled. "I'd say Andrea-san helped you realise your dreams. I just tossed some charitable donations her way. They are a tax write off after all."

"Don't believe him," Andrea told her. "He cares a lot about where he gives money, even if it is tax deductible."

"Well, perhaps a little."

"So Okami-sama, what did you think of the performance?"

"Flawless, as usual. The critics will of course be disappointed."

"Not all critics are looking to find flaw."

"You must tell me where I can find such critics."

"Ignore him Yamazaki-san, Devon-san often feels that everyone else is out to get him."

"It's my work," Devon said. "Or it was."

"What did you do?" Linna asked.

"Helped build Genom."

Linna was surprised by that admission.

"Does that bother you?" Devon asked, noting her expression.

"No, but, I'm sorry. It's just that Genom..."

"Has a lot of critics," he said.

Linna thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"As I was saying." He looked at Andrea.

"If I did not know you Devon-san, I might believe those critics as well."

"You are too kind."

"I'm sorry," Domino said as she came close. "Okami-san, I hope you don't think me rude, but I have to leave."

"Business?" he asked her.

"It always is," she said, giving him a small smile.

"Don't push yourself too hard Odotte-kun. Andrea-san, this is Odotte Domino."

"Pleased to meet you," Andrea said.

"The pleasure is all mine," Domino replied.

"Yamazaki Linna," Linna said, introducing herself.

"Pleaesd to meet you," Domino said, bowing slightly. "Okami-sama, again, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I understand."

Domino bowed once more, then turned and walked away.

"She's very attractive," Andrea said to Devon a few seconds later.

"Yes," Devon nodded.

"A little young perhaps."

"She is older than she looks," Devon looked at Andrea and smiled.

"You have a very beautiful girlfriend," Linna told him.

"Odotte-san is more a daughter than a girlfriend," he told Linna, smiling at her.

Linna felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. "Oh."

"So Devon-san, will you be coming out to celebrate with us?"

"You won't mind if my bodyguard comes along will you?"

"No, but if you want to lose him, I'll help."

Devon smiled. "He gets very upset when I do such things. You'd almost think he was human."

"Perhaps he is," Andrea said. "Well, you and your big friend are, of course, welcome."

Devon nodded. "So Yamazaki-san, I seem to have lost my companion. Perhaps you'd like to take her place?" He held out his arm towards her.

Linna paused for a moment, then reached out and slid her arm through his. "Of course."

* * *

Priss leaned back in chair, her feet up on a small, scarred end table. It had been the last night at the Hard Rock Café, for a while at least. Kano was already talking about a return engagement. Priss was giving it some serious thought. She did not want to leave Hot Legs completely, she owed the place a lot, but that was what Kano was hinting at.

Then there was David's deal. She was slowly putting together a selection of new stuff, though translating it properly was proving to be a bit of a challenge. What might happen when she finished the work was up in the air. If things went well, fame. If things did not go well, no real change.

Maybe she should keep her connections with Hot Legs open, just in case. What a defeatist thought that was, Priss thought, suddenly angry with herself. She was not the kind to play things careful. She burnt her bridges behind her and did not look back.

She picked up a glass of whisky from beside her and took a drink. She would take Kano up on his offer-once she talked to the rest of the band about it. He sure as hell paid a lot better than anyone else.

There was a knock at the door to the dressing room. "Yeah," Priss called out.

The door opened and someone Priss had not expected to ever see again stepped in.

"Okita," she said.

"Oi Asagiri-san," Oshiro Okita said as he stepped into the room and closed to door behind him.

"What the hell do you want?" Priss said as she put her glass down. She got to her feet, staring at the man.

"Hey." He put his hands up in front of himself. "Not looking for any trouble."

"Then what are you here for?"

"I wanted to apologise, and ask if you were willing to give me another chance."

"What?"

"I want to sign you, on your own terms. No name changes, no band changes, just Priss, as you've always been. I mean, I might not be the brightest guy around, but even I can see the obvious. You have it in you to become big. I was wrong, stupid, to ask you to stop being who you are."

Priss looked at him for a few seconds. "That took guts," she finally said.

"I guess. So, what do you think?"

"I think I'm sorry, but I've got a deal I'm already working on."

"Pardon?"

"You're too late."

He said nothing for a moment, then walked across the room. "Can I?" He looked down as the whisky bottle and the glasses beside it.

"Go for it."

He put one of the glasses aside, then filled it up. "Well, this sucks," he said as he picked the glass up. He took a large drink.

"You should have thought about this when you tried to make me sign that stupid contract."

He laughed, and took another drink. "What can I say, I was young and stupid. I figured you'd cave."

"Bad planning."

"I know." He finished off the whisky in his glass, then put the empty glass down. "Well, thanks for listening to me. I though you'd tell me to go to hell."

"I thought about it."

He nodded. "If you ever change your mind." He took a meishi(visiting card) from inside of his jacket, and placed it on the table next to the whisky bottle.

Priss nodded, not saying anything.

Oshiro bowed slightly, then turned and walked towards the door, opened it, and then left the room.

When he was gone Priss reached down and picked up the card. After a moment she slid it into her pants pocket. It never hurt to have other options, she decided. Priss laughed at that, and she thought she burnt all her bridges behind her. She tried, but some did not burn as easy as others.

* * *

**Thursday March 9th, 10:35**

"Well, it's big," Norio said, looking about the factory. Around them the boomers from the salvage company were clearing the machinery from the floor.

"Wow, could you state the obvious yet again?" Yuuko asked.

"I probably could."

"You really going to live here?" Takeshi asked Priss.

"That is the plan," Priss told him.

"Wild."

"What is this costing you?" Yuuko asked. It was rude, but she could not help herself.

"A lot, but there are all kind of weird, tax things you can do that make it all reasonable, kind of."

"At least you didn't say tax write-offs or two year plans," Norio said.

"Are you suggesting that I sold out, Chimura-san?"

"Never," Norio told her, smiling widely.

"Good."

"So this is where we are going to be practising in the future?" Takeshi asked.

"Yeah. I'm setting up a studio, but I think we can use this area as well."

"At least you have no neighbours to complain about the noise."

"For now."

"You're setting up a studio?" Yuuko asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Transferable skills."

"Pardon?"

"I think that I can pull in some extra income with a studio. I know the basics and can build on that."

"And it gives you a studio," Norio said.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Give me a sec," Priss said as she left them, walking towards the car that still rested on its rims on the floor. A boomer was also approaching the vehicle. "This stays," she told the boomer once she got close.

The boomer looked at her, as if considering her words. Priss stared back at it, not really nervous, but aware that the boomer was very strong. She had a small 9mm tucked into the waistband of her pants and knew a number of weak areas on the boomer. It nodded, and then turned away and walked off.

"What's with the car?" Takeshi asked as he walked up to her.

"Just a car that I am thinking of restoring."

"Since when are you interested in cars?" Norio asked.

"Since I found this," she said, turning to face them. "Listen, we need to talk about business."

"What business?" Yuuko asked.

"Kano-san wants us on a permanent basis, for a while at least."

"What kind of deal is he talking?" Norio asked her.

"Three nights a week, same sort of payment that we got before."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Yuuko said.

"What about Hot Legs?" That from Norio.

"I think that's the point," Takeshi said.

"He's right." Priss nodded. "We take Kano-san up on this, we've cut ourselves from Hot Legs."

"We could still play there," Yuuko said.

"We'll just be visiting then," Norio told her. "I mean, before Hot Legs was kind of our home. We'd be trading that away."

Priss nodded.

"Hot Legs was a great place to start," Takeshi said. "The best place to start, but there's gotta be a time when we move beyond it."

"Is that what you really think?" Priss asked him.

"Yeah, it is. Toda's club is a good place to move to."

"Lot of good memories from Hot Legs," Norio said. He stared up at the ceiling and smiled. "I guess I'll always have those. I suppose it is time to move on."

Yuuko looked at Norio and Takeshi, then at Priss. "I don't have much invested in Hot Legs really. I like it, but I have no problems with leaving. What about you?"

"Like Takeshi-san said, great place to start, but you can't stay there forever. Since we're in agreement here, I'll talk to Kano-san and work the rest of it out."

"Do we celebrate?" Norio asked, smiling.

"Eventually," Priss told him. "Let's go. I'll bring you back when the place is finished." She started walking towards the exit.

* * *

**Cultural Notes**: Mount Kouya is famous for the Shingon Buddhist temple there, and its graveyard. The temple was built by Kuukai, a Buddhist monk who brought esoteric Shingon Buddhism from China to Japan in ninth century CE. It is considered fortuitous to be buried in the graveyard at Kouya-san.

Kuukai, when he died, was given the posthumous title, Koubou Daishi-the great teacher who spread the law of Buddhism across the country. The Kouya hijiri (ascetics) who went on pilgrimages to follow in his footsteps, as it were, formed the Shikoku pilgrimage trail.

**Technological Notes**: The Same(shark) Chain Knife was designed by Genom as a utility tool for rescue workers in 2024. At the time the tool only generated moderate interest. In what looked like a move to dump a useless product, Genom supplied the knife, free, to rescue, fire, police and ambulance units throughout the Tokyo and the Kanto region, two months before the quake hit.

When the quake hit, the tool was an unparalleled success. Many swore that it was responsible for saving thousands of lives. It allowed rescuers to cut through rubble in tight spaces where larger tools would be of little use.

Since then the Same Chain Knife has sold well all over the world bringing Genom a healthy profit.

It is not a useful weapon being a bit too heavy and unwieldy but some try. The actress Monica Hush recently used it in the ultra-violent action movie "Die Screaming" (again, written by Adam Warren) to carve up a cyborg assassin.

Same Chain Knife  
Conceal: 5  
Reach: 0  
Damage: (STR+1)S  
Weight: 1.25  
Availability: 4/18 hours  
Cost: 150000 yen  
Street Index: 1  
Legal: 5P-U

Note: This tool is difficult to use as a weapon. The target number when using this weapon is increased by 2 to reflect this. Also, if a character botches while using this weapon, it is very likely that they will have hit themselves.  
The battery pack will operate the knife for five minutes of continuous use. The rechargeable battery costs 4000 yen to replace.

_"Depressing Things A dog howling in the daytime. A wickerwork fish-net in spring. A red plum-blossom dress in the third or fourth Months. A lying-in room where the baby has died. A cold, empty brazier. An ox-driver who hates his oxen. A scholar whose wife has one girl child after another"_  
- **Sei Shonagon**


	22. Satisfaction For A Sin 5

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (5 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

"I have to admit I was a little surprised when I heard you were resigning, and for what reason," Kaoru said. "It's a little strange."

"Do you think so?" Nene asked him as she put her hashi(chop sticks) across her rice bowl.

"Genom, the ADP, not a mix one would normally think of."

"I guess that is why I'm resigning."

"Why did you chose Gendai in the first place?"

"A friend urged me to do so. She said it was one of the best Universities in the country."

"Is it?"

"I think so, now that I've done some research."

"I wonder if there might be a way to out a positive PR spin on this?"

"Always at work?" Nene picked up her hashi.

"Just thinking out loud."

Nene took a piece of fried shrimp from her plate and placed it in her mouth. She chewed, swallowed, then said, "So, how are things down in PR?"

"Same old thing. Press conferences, a lot of questions about last month's strangeness, but that is on the decline."

"Do you answer their questions?"

"For the most part. What about your new work?"

"I can't say it is the same." Nene smiled. "Right now it is mostly research."

Kaoru looked at his watch. "I think we should be getting back."

Nene looked at her own watch. "Is it really that late?"

"I guess time goes fast with pleasant company." He smiled at her.

"I guess it does." She put her hashi down on the side of the tray. "Gochisosama(it was a feastidiom)."

Kaoru got to his feet. "Let's go." He offered her his hand, which Nene took, letting him help her up.

"What are you doing tonight?" Nene asked him.

"Early, nothing, late, I'm busy."

"Want to go for dinner after work, assuming nothing comes up?"

"It's a date."

Nene smiled at that, and followed him from the Hot Extractionstopping on the way out to pay their bill. They crossed the street and entered the ADP building, talking and laughing with each other.

Before they reached the elevators he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a large planter that shielded them from sight. He put his hands on the side of her head, tilted her face up, and then lowered his lips to hers.

Nene was a little surprised by the kiss, but she liked it. While it was obvious that he knew a little more about kissing than her, Nene responded as best that she could. She was not too bad at it. The kiss ended as suddenly as it begun, Kaoru stepping back. "Sorry," he said. His smile suggested that he was not.

"Don't be," Nene said, flushing a little.

"See you tonight?"

"I hope so."

He nodded, turned, and walked away, heading towards his office. Nene watched him go, liking the way he walked. She sighed and stepped out from behind the planter, walking towards the elevators.

* * *

The cat meowed at Sylia, cocking its head to the side as it looked at her. She leaned back in her seat, examining the cat in turn. She had finally finished putting Nene's project together. Now all she had to do was finish up work on her new motoslave. That she had put off that work in order to get a boomer cat working was a little surprising to her.

Sylia got to her feet. "Come along," she said to the cat, turning and walking from the workroom. The cat leapt down from the table and followed after Sylia. Unlike a real cat, the boomer animal would follow ordersthough there was a program setting that would make the cat as aloof and independent as its organic counterpart.

She walked through the halls, the cat at her heels, to the small office she maintained in the basement. As she sat down in front of her computer the cat leapt up onto the desk, turned itself about, then sat facing her.

Sylia took a diagnostic computer from one of the desk drawers and set it up near the cat. "Open," she said to the cat. The cat opened its mouth, like it was yawning. Sylia slid a lead into the mouth, sliding it into a small socket in the back of its throat. Of course an organic animal would be choking and gagging, but it was not organic.

The cat closed its mouth on the cable, being careful not to bite it in half. Sylia turned on the computer and allowed it to begin running its tests on the cat. That finished, she turned her attention to her own work.

Programming the cat had brought some facts strongly to Sylia's attention. While her father's technology was still the defining work on Artificial Intelligence, there were still areas that needed attention. One such area was work on a flexible, dumb AI.

Sylia typed, putting her thoughts into the word processor. The main advantage of such a dumb AI was the chance of it gaining self-awareness and sentience was lowered greatly. While Sylia doubted her father's design would ever fall by the wayside in favour of such a system, it would have its uses. The cat sitting on her desk could be one such use.

Menial labour boomers also had little use for the advanced AI system they currently were outfitted with. In fact, it could be considered cruel to sentence a creation with such potential to such a fate.

She was just warming up to the subject when the diagnostic computer chimed, indicating the completion of its task. Sylia turned to look at the readouts, happily noting that everything was as it should be. She almost said, 'good cat'.

The cat opened it mouth as Sylia reached for the cable, and let Sylia pull it free. "Go into suspension mode," she ordered the cat.

What should have happened was that the cat would close its eyes and shut down. Instead it got to its feet, walked around in a circle, then lay down, putting its tail across its nose. It yawned, then closed its eyes, looking just like a sleeping cat.

Sylia shook her head. Already the thing was getting too smart. She turned her attention back to her article and began typing.

* * *

Yoshiro checked the contents of the briefcase one more time, making sure everything was as it should be. Satisfied with what he saw, he closed the case, snapping the locks shut. He listened to the clicks as several internal bolts snapped into place.

He looked around his office, for the final time he was certain. Once more he was switching allegiances. He hoped things would turn out for the better this time. He picked up the briefcase from his desk, turned, and walked from his office, closing and locking the door behind him.

His office was in one of the high security areas of the Tower. A lot of cutting edge work went on around himnot that he had much to do with it. His work in the Tower had moved away from a position as an innovator to that of an advisor.

He stopped at the security station to present his ID before being buzzed out. The guard made a friendly comment on his late hours. Yoshiro laughed and told him that there was a lot of work to do. No one asked to examine the briefcase. He had not expected anyone to, but he had been worried about the possibility. Once he passed through the security doors he had to keep himself from visibly relaxing.

He took the elevator down to one of the Tower's garages where his car was parked. The security around him had steadily dropped off so he was fairly certain that there was no longer anyone watching him. The freedom gave him the chance to make his run.

Once he left the Tower he drove towards Shinjuku, planning on losing himself in the busy traffic of the area. His white, four-door sedan was a fairly common design; it blended in well with the other cars on the road.

Some time later Yoshiro pulled into a parking garage, taking a ticket from the machine at the gate, then driving up the ramp. He parked on the fifth level and exited his car, taking his briefcase with him. He walked to the exit, but did not take the stairs down. He climbed to the sixth level where another car was waiting for him.

After opening the door he tossed the briefcase into back seat and then slid into the driver's seat. Arranging for the car to be there had been expensive, especially since he had to keep it hidden from Genom. Fortunately he had learned a few things that made it possible.

He pulled out of the parking spot, turned the car about, and then started down the ramp. At the exit he paid the parking fee, then drove out onto the busy street. Things looked to be working out, so far. He just had to hope that things would continue to work out. All he had to do was make it to Ueno.

The closer he got, the more worried he became. He had been sure that he had outwitted Genom, but could he really have done so? So many others had tried, and so very few had succeeded. Twice he came close to turning the car around and heading back to Genom. He would turn himself in and hope for the best.

What kept him going was his fear that the best might mean his death. Even if he was not killed for his betrayal, what could Genom offer him if he stayed? Not much really, not any longer. So he kept going, because he was sure he had no other choice and he felt his talents were being wasted.

When he reached Ueno everything was quiet. Most of the businesses were closed, and the late night crowds were in other places. He parked his car on a side street. It would be towed away in a few hours, but he did not plan of returning for it.

The park and zoo were basically empty at that late hour. Once he entered the park the treesmany replanted after the quakewere like a shield from the rest of the city. It was quieter and darker than it had been on the street. He found himself looking over his shoulder; the darkness around him was more threatening than he would have thought.

He was near the five-storied pagoda, rebuilt since the quake, when he spotted them. At the front of the group of six or seven men stood Terrence.

"Doctor," he said quietly, "I'm glad you could make it."

"I've brought what you wanted," Yoshiro said, holding the briefcase up as if it were some sort of defensive measure.

"Of course," he told him, a slight smile on his face. "Let us go now Doctor."

"You did not think it would be that easy did you?" a voice called out of the darkness. Yoshiro recognised it.

Domino and four men walked out of the darkness, appearing like wraiths. "Andrews-hakase, thank you for this service. I suggest you move into cover," Domino said.

Andrews looked back at Domino and her people. They wore long coats, and even in the dark they wore sunglasses. Boomers, they had to be. He looked back towards Terrence. Yoshiro was close enough that he thought he could see doubt in the other man's eyes. He thinks I betrayed him, Yoshiro thought.

There was no choice now. He turned and ran. He had to get away from what was about to happen. Behind Domino a man moved out of the shadows to follow after Yoshiro.

Terrence reached under his jacket, his men copying him. Domino did not know if he was going to shoot the fleeing Yoshiro, or her. It did not matter, not really. She was certain he would not get a chance either way.

Domino reached under her coat, grasping the two 9mm pistols she had tucked in her waistband. The other men with her drew large framed, combat automatics from within their coats. They moved faster than the opposing group.

Gunshots rang out in the silent park, the small clearing lit by the muzzle flashes of many weapons. Domino picked the man who had spoken as the leader and opened up on him. She did not wish to kill him, so she aimed for his extremities. He jerked back, spun about and fell to the ground.

It was then that Domino took full note of the other men. They had not fallen under the barrage of fire, though their clothing was torn apart and there was blood. Damn, Domino thought as she let her empty pistols drop from her hands.

Her boomers were also letting their weapons drop. The men in front of them staggered up straight then began to quiver slightly as their clothes began to tear. Domino's boomer's wasted no time; they began to rip free from their own disguises.

Domino flipped her coat back, revealing the tight, leather and kevlar body suit she was wearing. Strapped to the outside her thighs were a pair of H&K SMGs. She ripped the Velcro straps open and pulled the weapons free.

While most of her attention was fixed on the opposing boomers, she noticed the man she had shot was beginning to move. Armour clothing, or perhaps cybernetic enhancement. Or both. She would have to worry about him later.

The seven other boomers were of an older model. The four boomers with Domino were 55Cs, all cutting edge. She had no doubt about the final outcome of the battle, but it was going to take some time.

Domino lifted her weapons, gently squeezing the triggers, activating the laser sights. At the same time she was prompting her housekeeping computer, letting it activate the adrenal pump in her body. Adrenaline flooded her system, her heartbeat doubled, then tripled in but a moment. Around her everything seemed to slow down. The sound of her heart was like a taiko drum in her ears, a warm flush spread across her body as her capillaries filled with blood. She was aware of all that and more even as she began to move, the weapons in her hands vibrating as she fired.

The opposing boomers came in as well, three taking to the air. A good attack pattern, Domino noted even as she opened up on one of the rising boomers. The cocktail of HESH and HEAP rounds tore into the boomer.

There was a flash of light to her side as one of her 55Cs fired its mouth laser, hitting another of the airborne boomers. That boomer exploded, its fuel going up, a bright fireball in the sky for a few seconds. It was joined by a second as the one Domino was firing on exploded, after taking two full clips.

Domino dropped her spent SMGs and pulled two .454 automags from shoulder holsters. They were the same pistols the ADP used, but Domino's were loaded with much better ammunition. The third and last of the airborne boomers exploded a moment later as she and the boomer beside her hit it at the same time.

Domino spun on her heel, putting her back to the boomer beside her, giving it her full trust to cover her. She lined up both her pistols on another of the boomers and began squeezing off shots. The boomer staggered back, and then turned towards her. Its mouth opened as its laser slid forth. Domino fired at the same time, destroying the weapon.

That did not stop the boomer, not that Domino thought it would. Older or not, it was a Genom design. It charged her, its hands extended, ready to rip her apart. Domino waited until it closed, then stepped to the side, slamming her elbow into the boomer. Adrenaline boosted strength, the reinforced ceramic plate over her elbow, a well placed hit, slammed the boomer to the side, cracking its armour slightly.

She let her arm continue so it swung out, the pistol she held ending up pointed directly at the boomer, at the crack in its armour. She fired the rest of the clip off rapidly, finishing the boomer off, destroying its internal systems without touching off its fuel.

The adrenaline was still burning in her body, her heart still thundering in her chest, the rest of the world still moving in slow motion when the last of the opposing boomers was destroyed. The entire fight could not have taken more than twenty or thirty seconds, perhaps less. Domino looked around for her prisoner, but he was gone. Unfortunate. For a moment she considered sending one of her boomers to follow the blood trail, but decided against it. They would be too obvious without their human guise. For now that man would go free, but only for now, Domino promised herself.

She dropped her pistols to the ground, turned, and began to walk away. "Grab a few heads and then let's go," she called out to the boomers. Two fell in behind her, walking away from the battle site and two took time to tear two of the skulls from the fallen units before following after her. Domino shifted her shoulders, and let her long coat fall from her, leaving itand the incriminating powder residue on itbehind.

In the distance she could hear the wail of sirens. The police would be coming, probably in force if they had a report of multiple gun shots. Domino removed her empty holsters, tossing them aside, and then pulled off the gloves she had been wearing. Underneath was a pair of latex glovesthose she left on.

* * *

Buneto Ubea member of Genom's special securitychased after Yoshiro. The Doctor was moving very fast, and seemed to know exactly where he was going. Buneto, not having that luxury, could only follow. Behind him he could hear the sound of gunshots and then a flash of light as something exploded. It was getting much louder than he had expected.

He leapt over a bench, trying to take a shortcut, but was slowed down when he went crashing through a hedge. Just off to his side he could see a shadowy opening in the hedgeprobably how Yoshiro had gone through. The man had obviously planned things out.

He lost the Doctor in an area of thick vegetation, but was sure he could find him again. The sound of his footfalls gave him something to follow. Then he heard a creaking sound, and a click. He came around the path to see a door that led into one of the service tunnels. He ran towards the door, but it closed just before he reached it. There was a loud click.

Buneto grabbed the handle and tried to open it, but it would not move. Even as he began to exert his augmented strength on the door he heard a sound of metal on metal. Another locking mechanism he guessed. He could not get the door to budge. He tried several more times before giving up on the brute strength method.

He drew a large pistol from under his coat and then fired several rounds into the door. Sufficiently weakened, the door and its locks gave under his kick. He loaded a fresh magazine into his pistol, then moved forward into the entrance.

Soon he was running through the tunnel, listening to the far off sounds of Yoshiro's footfalls. He was far ahead. Finally Buneto climbed a ladder and pushed open a doorthat it was unlocked was proof enough that Yoshiro had gone that wayexiting from the tunnels into a parking lot.

He looked around, seeing nothing. Then in the distance, he heard the sound of an engine. He ran towards it, but he saw no sign of the car. He was obviously too late.

He reached into his pocket for his NAVI. Odotte-san would not be pleased about this. He had been hoping to impress her that night. Now he only hoped she would not be too angry.

* * *

Domino cut the connection, Buneto's face disappearing from the NAVI's screen. She suddenly found herself wishing D was there. D would not have lost Yoshiro, Domino was certain of that. D would have taken into account the possibility of boomers, and that Yoshiro might get away. D would have managed it better. Domino sighed softly, then she shook her head. No time for regretting past actions, Domino thought as she entered a number into her NAVI. She had work to do.

Beside her a boomer, light security C-Class, drove the car. She called up Genom's information centre and went to work. There were a lot of things she was going to have to do to clean up the messher mess.

It took her several minutes to arrange it all and once done she folded the NAVI closed. Domino closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat. Using the adrenal pump had taken a lot out of her, but the sense of power when she had activated it had been quite exhilarating. The way that everything else had seemed to move so slowly had given her a great feeling of power.

Of course that was dangerous, and hubris had its price. She would have to be careful of that in the future.

* * *

**March 10th, Friday, 12:34 am**

Kaneko flashed her badge at the police officer before ducking under the line of police tape and entering the crime scene. The area was brightly lit by portable halogen lamps. The wreckage of several boomers lay on the grass. Three police photographers were moving about taking many pictures. Forensic officers were bagging various pieces of evidence; Kaneko saw one putting an SMG into a clear bag.

"Akamura, over here," she heard Captain Yamano call to her.

Kaneko altered her course and walked over to the scarred officer. "Yamano-kichou, I came as soon as I could."

"Good. I want you to take a look at these," she said, indicating several piles of shredded, bloody clothing.

Kaneko nodded and placed her briefcase down on the grass, making sure she covered nothing of importance. She opened the case up, then took out a pair of latex gloves, as well as a small forensics kit. She walked over to the first pile, and used a probe to look through the clothing. "You know the signs as well as I do Yamano-kichou. It looks like a boomer's cast-offs."

"Give me confirmation on that."

Kaneko nodded, then used a pair of pickups to remove a piece of shredded skin. She put the skin into a sample tube, poured in some dyes and reagents, and then plugged the tube. "It will take a minute or two," Kaneko told Asako as she began turning the tube back and forth in her hand.

"No problem."

"So what happened?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out. Obviously a fight, but between who, we don't know. All the wreckage here looks like it came from older models, the sort of units we saw back in '29. It will be hard to solve this one."

"Why?"

"Whoever did this dumped everything, weapons, clothing anything that could link them to this crime. Very professional."

"And you think it is Genom," Kaneko said, regretting it almost as soon as she said it.

Asako gave Kaneko a hard look before answering. "It has the look of their operations."

Kaneko nodded, then said, "This is very likely synthetic skin, and the clothes will show patterns consistent of ripping patterns of a boomer, but that won't prove anything."

"I'm aware of that officer," she said coolly. "I still have a job to do."

"Yes ma'am," Kaneko said a little quickly. She had stepped over a line.

After a minute the mixture in the tube had become a bright red. "Synthetic skin. I can perform a more detailed examination back in the lab. I might be able to tell you what factory it came from."

"Do that."

"I'll start bagging the samples."

"Good," Asako told her. "Does it look like they were fighting each other?"

Kaneko looked up from her work and around at the wreckage about them. "Hard to say, but, no, not really."

"That is what I was thinking."

Kaneko nodded after a moment. "It looks like these boomers were taken down quickly, all within a tight area. Little damage to the surrounding area, so they did not spend a lot of time pounding on each other. I'd guess it was 55Cs."

"Can you prove that?"

"Possibly," Kaneko said after a few seconds. "The 55Cs rip from their clothes in a slightly different manner than these older units. I might be able to make a positive identification from that."

"Good. Do that."

After Kaneko nodded Asako turned and walked away, leaving the taped off area, walking towards the ADP CP(command post) parked close by. She walked up the stairs into the vehicle, ducking under the doorway as she entered. She truly wanted to know what had happened there that night, and why. She was going to have to start talking to her informants.

* * *

Terrence stumbled down an alley, almost falling. He was no longer bleeding, at least not externally, but his left arm hung limply at his side. Between his armoured clothing and his cybernetics he was still alive, and still functional, but it had been close. Not as close as the time that Sharon Knight had had one of her boomers attack him. He had not had the cybernetics back then.

He needed to get back to his base of operations and get things underway. He was still not certain if Andrews had betrayed him, but he was going to find out. If he had there was not much that could be done, other than attempting to assassinate him. On the other hand if he had not, then Terrence's employers still wanted him, and the information he had promised.

He stumbled again and had to put out a hand to catch himself. "Damn," he hissed softly as he pushed himself away from the wall. "This is going to be a long night."

* * *

Domino walked into her office, freshly showered and dressed in a black pants suit. The heels of her shoes were higher than she normally chose, but she wanted that height. She wanted to project an aura of power. She was going to need it.

Letting Andrews get away, and with the information he likely had, was a huge mistake. She walked around her desk and took a seat. She had become arrogant in ways, had been sure that she could deal with the problem, and make it become an advantage.

Already she had sent a full report off to Quincy's office. She had not heard back and did not expect to. Quincy would allow her to try to fix the problem, If she did, all would be forgiven. If not, well, she did not care much for thoughts like that. Of course she would not be under his protection, as it were, and that would get around the Tower. Executives in such situations often found open season had been declared on them.

She was going to have to show everyone that she still had power, that she was best left alone. She was going to put terror into some of the executives over the next few days. She smiled slightly. There was a Darwinistic feel to the Tower at times.

Her primary concern was finding Andrews, though she did not think she would have an easy time finding him. While not the genius that Stingray-hakase had been, he was, as far as most were concerned, one of the leading experts in the field of boomer technology. It would not do to announce that Genom had lost him. Being forced to keep things quiet just made it all that much harder.

If only Buneto had not let him go.

She was not really angry with Buneto, more at herself for trusting him. Oh, he was very good, but she needed better. She needed someone as good as herself, perhaps better. Operatives like that were rare, and prized by those who had their services. Once again she missed D.

She turned to her computer and entered the passwords. D was gone, but there were other options, just maybe. Would Quincy let her do it though? Well, there was only one way to find out.

It did not take her long to find the information she wanted. It was not a project that Mason had had a part of, but he had known of it. Now she might be able to benefit from it.

There was a lot of information in the files that she wanted, but most of it was no longer current. The units in question had ceased functioning and were of no use to her. Of the surviving units, most were no longer stable. After an hour of reading it had been narrowed down to only one possibility.

Domino read through the information, then reached for her NAVI. She keyed in the number then waited for an answer. Several rings later the person on the other end picked up. They were using a standard phone with no visual feed. It was a secure line, however.

"Sheffield," a voice mumbled.

"Sheffield-hakase," Domino said. "This is Odotte Domino from Genom."

There was a pause on the other end. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Three forty two, a.m.," Domino said simply.

"Odotte-san, while I'm sure that you feel this is important there are a number of other people you could have called, who are awake right now," she said, anger obvious in her voice.

"I'm activating unit 25B, I'll give you one hour to get here," Domino told her, then cut the connection. She knew that Sheffield-hakase was going to be very angry about such treatment, but Domino really did not care. It was all part of the image of power she had to project. Occasionally stepping on toes was not going to make her any friends, but it would make her enemies think twice.

She leaned back in her chair, looking over the data on the screen. 25B might prove to be the operative she was looking for, in the short term at least.

* * *

Sylia woke up to the shrilling of her phone. She rolled over in her bed, reached out from under her covers, and tapped the speaker button on her phone. "Stingray-desu," she said.

"Sylia-san, this is Fargo."

Sylia was suddenly completely awake. She sat up in her bed and looked towards the phone. "What is it?"

"Can we talk?"

"The line is secure."

"The employers who have you on retainer want the job done."

"Details."

"Very odd. I don't want to talk about it over the phone, even if the line is secure. I'll have a courier drop off the details soon. Standard set up."

"Okay," Sylia said, reaching for her robe.

"If you want more information, get in touch with me."

"I'll do so. Are you in contact with the employer?"

"Very sporadic."

"Okay. I'll be in touch with you soon."

"Later Sylia-san," Fargo said, cutting the connection.

Sylia cut the connection on her side, then got to her feet, slipping into her robe. She expected that Fargo's courier would arrive shortly. It would be interesting to see just what the job entailed.

* * *

Sayako Sheffield did not look completely happy as she entered the storage room. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and she had obviously not taken much time in dressing. Her black hair was streaked with grey, and her brown eyes were behind round frame glasses. The middle-aged woman walked straight towards the figure in the suit, who was standing by the glass window that looked into the coffin bay.

Sayako hated the way everything had been named. Storage room, coffin bay, others like that. It was so wrong for such terms to be used. It always made her angry for so many different reasons.

"Odotte-san," Sayako said abruptly. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

Domino spun about on one heel and met Sayako's angry gaze with her calm one. Green eyes meeting brown. While Sayako was a little taller, even when Domino was in heels, there was little doubt who had the advantage. Sayako, seeming a little surprised, backed down, letting her eyes drop.

"Sheffield-hakase," Domino said. "I'm glad you could make it. We might need your help in reviving 25B." It was not really true of course, there was no need for Sayako to be there, but she had requested that she be present any time 25B was revived.

"She likes to be called Kiki," she said.

Domino shook her head. "Sheffield Akiko, your daughter, liked to be called Kiki."

Sayako looked a little angry. "This Akiko does as well."

"We shall see," Domino said, turning back towards the window, watching as the tech removed the cryostorage pod, the coffin, from its rack.

The techs moved it out of the coffin room into the revival area. Domino followed after them, stepping into the revival area. Sayako followed her into the room.

The techs had attached hoses to the pod and had begun to pump the storage gel from the pod.

"How long will she be active for?" Sayako asked.

"Until she dies," Domino said, moving closer to the pod.

"What?"

"She will be active until her disease, if we can call it that, kills her."

"You can't do that!"

"I think you'll find I can."

The techs were looking nervous. They had no desire to be around if those two started fighting.

"You can't let her die!"

Domino looked over at Sayako. "And you can't save her."

Sayako took a step back, as if she had been hit.

"I've read the reports. You are no closer to discovering a way to reverse the damage the MBW system caused. She is doomed."

Sayako opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but no words came.

"I'm sorry," Domino said after a moment, softening slightly. Unnecessary cruelty was pointless. "Let her go Sheffield-hakase. Let her live for what little time she has left."

Sayako dropped her eyes to the floor and said nothing. Domino turned around and walked closer to the pod.

The gel had been pumped out, revealing 25B, Akiko. She wore a black, single piece suit; several small tubes were attached to itand into the skin underneath. The tubes began to pulse, like something living, as the antifreeze agents were drained from her body and saline solutions flushed her system. Then warmed blood began to flow into the body, replacing the saline solution.

It took several minutes to complete the transfer. Domino watched as Akiko's skin lost the pale, bluish tinge, taking on a more normal colour. One of the techs removed the mask from her face, then slid the tubes from her mouth and nose. She made slight choking sounds, and Sayako was suddenly by Domino's side, looking down at Akiko, making sure she was all right.

Her hair was blonde, and her eyes grey, like the real Akiko Sheffield. She had taken after her father, also killed in the quake. Sayako had not been the only person involved in the sexaroid project to recreate a lost loved one. It was understandable really, but with the second-generation project it had caused nothing but trouble.

When the problems with the second gens had come to light and they had started dying, their creators had suffered greatly. Regaining a loved one, only to lose them again, had been very hard on all involved.

Well, soon enough it would be history, Domino thought. Very few of the second generations were left alive, as they died their creators mourned them, dealt with the pain, then went on with the livesexcept in a few cases where they had killed themselves. The sooner the likes of Sayako got on with their lives the better for Genom, and themselves.

"She's coming to," the woman who had taken the mask off said.

Sayako moved closer. "Okay, let's get the suit off her, and be careful when you remove the needles."

Domino stepped back to let them work, wondering if she had been revived in such a way? Of course when she had been revived she had been nothing but an empty shell, waiting to absorb the memories of a dead man.

"Send her into the meeting room once she is awake," Domino ordered before turning to walk from the room.

* * *

Akiko sat in the meeting room; hands in her lap, waiting to be told what she need to know. She had cleaned up, changed clothes, and her housekeeping computer showed her condition to be stable and within operating parameters.

Across from her sat a woman named Domino Odotte. Akiko had never met her before, but there were many people in Genom she did not know. Would never know.

Sheffield-hakase had not told her anything of what the mission was about. She had been very quiet this time, sad as well, sadder than usual. She looked older as well. It had been six months since she was last revived. Six months did not seem like it should make someone look older.

"Akiko-san I will not waste any time with pleasantries. Nor will I lie to you. You are going to die, and there is no way to stop it."

Akiko looked at Domino for a moment, then she nodded. "I know."

"I'm not surprised. I should mention that the design team has worked themselves to exhaustion, and in one case death, in an attempt to solve this problem. You were never abandoned. I think that is important for you to know."

Akiko nodded. "Thank you for telling me that."

"With the stresses of multiple cryogenic storage, and the psychological impact of the missions you undertake, it has been estimated that you will last four more missions. Based on your standard deployment, you will be dead in two to three years time."

"But I won't know those years," Akiko said softly.

"Or, if you are left out of storage, you will have a month, maybe two, before the effects of your disease reach a point where you can no longer function." Domino paused for a moment. "I need an operative of your talents. You'll know what it is to truly live your life, for a month at least. I'll do all I can to make that time as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible. I'll give you a chance to live before you die. All I ask for in return is your loyalty."

Akiko looked down at her hands for a time, saying nothing. Domino drank from her coffee cup and waited for the young woman in front of her to make a decision. She looked very young, Domino noted, the same as Akiko Sheffield when she died. It was hard to think of her as a master assassin, but she had performed assassinations the world over at Genom's behest. She was exactly what Domino needed.

"I won't have to go back into cryo?"

"No."

"When I'm not working I can go out, talk to people, go to restaurants, like anyone else would?"

"Yes."

Akiko nodded. "I'll work for you Odotte-san."

"Good." Domino got to her feet and walked to the door to make sure it was locked. "There is something else."

Akiko looked at Domino and said nothing.

"I don't think there is anything that can be done to save you."

"I know."

"But there is something I can offer you."

"What Odotte-san?"

"For something of you to go on, to perhaps live beyond you. The design team has already tried to move a sexaroid mind into a new body, but there is too much tied up in the organic part of your brains. It was never a true transfer. There was a loss of skills, which Genom was not happy about, and a loss of memories, which the design team was not pleased with. It was never seen as a solution."

Domino returned to her seat and sat down. "There is another option, though, which will allow almost true transfer from one mind to another."

Akiko looked at Domino for a moment. "Do you mean I could live?"

"Not you, not really. Someone like you, but yet not you. Everything that you are will live on, but it will live on in someone else. That is the best way to explain it."

"It does not seem like much."

"No, it does not, but it is something."

"How would this new person be different from me?"

"In various ways. There is a loss of emotional attachments to memories. For example, when this person meets Sheffield-hakase, she will know her, and will think that she should love her, but won't feel that love. It will be a void."

Akiko's eyes widened slightly at that, she looked very uncertain.

"And when she meets her, this person will know that she should hate her for what she had done, but won't feel that hate."

Akiko's eyes widened even more, and she shook her head as if in negation, but it was a weak movement. "How did you know?" she asked after a time.

"I just knew. Its all right for you to be angry at her."

"It's not her fault, she could not have known what the system would do."

"Yes, but she could have been honest with you from the beginning."

Akiko nodded after a moment. "Please don't tell her."

"I have no reason to."

"When," she stopped and swallowed. "When will you do this?"

"Once you have had your chance to live. I promised you that."

"Thank you."

"Do we have an agreement?"

"Hai, Odotte-san."

"Good," Domino stood up. "Come along, we have work to do Akiko-san."

She walked to the door, unlocked it, and then opened it. Akiko got to her feet and followed after her.

As they entered the main room Akiko's steps faltered as she saw Sayako. Domino looked over her shoulder and saw the two looking at each other. It was going to take more care on her part than she had thought. She hoped Akiko was going to prove worth it.

"Sheffield-hakase, would you be so kind to bring Akiko-san up to my office in half an hour?"

Sayako looked a little confused at first, then nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course Odotte-san."

"Akiko-san, much of what I have told you is classified."

Akiko nodded. "I understand."

"Good," Domino said, then turned and left the two by themselves.

* * *

It was dirty apartment. Well, dirty was not quite the right word Yoshiro decided. It was neat, well looked after, but it was old. The smoke from countless cigarettes had stained the ceilings and walls and there were also water stains from leaky pipes.

The furniture was old, but serviceable. In one corner of the apartment's living room was a computer. The computer was new. Yoshiro sat in a creaky, wooden chair, working at that computer. He needed information, and he needed to make some important decisions.

He could not go back to Genom. Not after the way he had betrayed them. What they might do to him... He did not want to think of it.

Terrence and the people he represented were no longer an option as far as he was concerned. He could not trust them, now that they thought he had betrayed them.

That left other companies. There were many that he was certain would take him. After all, he was one of the leading experts on boomer theory and he had the secret of Katsuhito's AI with him. He looked over at the briefcase, next to a large bundle lying on the floor near the kitchen.

The problem was who to make his offer to. He knew that Genom had links of one sort or another into most of the other big companies, the companies with the power to protect him. He had to find someone who he could be sure of. If he was not careful he was going to step right back into Genom's arms.

It was going to take some work to find just the right person.

Fortunately he felt he had the time. The apartment was safe, he was sure of it. He had set it up as a safe house a few years before. No one knew of it, he was certain of that. All he had to do was stay put, search for the right person, and let them extract him from the area.

Turning back to the computer, he entered the commands and began calling up information on the various departments within Federated Aerospace International. He would have to find a department that Genom would have likely left alone.

He would find what he was looking for. All he needed was time.

* * *

Priss walked up the stairs towards the upper part of her factory. She stopped just in front of the door and turned to look down at the floor. Four boomers were spraying the floor with a thick gel. The gel was acidic, bleaching the stained floor clean. She had not really felt that it was necessary, but the contractor had convinced her that it would improve the appearance of the floor and prepare it for a protective covering.

She opened the door and walked into what had been office space. It was busy with boomers and their human supervisors removing walls, and cutting the openings into the ceiling. She looked about and spotted the contractor. She stepped over a pile of wood and crossed the floor, side stepping a boomer.

"Asagiri-san," he said, nodding to her. He was working the fasteners out of one of the walls.

"How's it going Koda-san?"

"We're a little ahead of schedule right now. I think that we'll be finished on time." He pulled a fastener out and dropped it to the floor. The wall began to fall back, but stopped suddenly, then was lowered by a boomer on the other side. "Thanks," Koda said to the boomer.

The boomer nodded and lowered the wall to the floor.

"You've got a lot of boomers here," Priss said.

"They're useful," he told her. "Not bad to work with either. We kept our staff when we bought the boomers, lets us do a lot more work and keep our quality of that work high."

"Ever worry about them?"

"Not really."

Priss nodded, suddenly at a loss for words. She had come to check up on things, and now that she had she had no reason to stay she did not know what to say. Whether Koda sensed that or if he really did have other work to do, he excused himself and walked towards another area that needed his attention.

Priss left, climbing down the stairs to the floor. The boomers had left a pathway for people to walk through. The smell of the acid was stronger close up, but no too bad. Like being near an over chlorinated pool. Still, she walked quickly to get out of the old factory and into the fresh air.

As she stood on the cracked sidewalk that led to front entrance, she looked around. Many of the other industrial buildings in the area were being torn down. With the recent rezoning of the area to residential many people were taking advantage of the land. There would probably be a lot of apartment buildings going up, maybe some condominiums. The factory would stand out amongst them. She wondered what her future neighbours would think about the place? Admittedly Priss was not too concerned about it, more curious.

At that moment her cel phone rang.

She reached into her pocket, flipped the phone open and put it to her ear. "Moshi, moshi, this is Asagiri," she said.

"Is this line clear," a distorted voice asked.

Priss took the phone from her ear and then pressed one of the buttons on it. She returned it to her ear. "It is now."

"Good," the voice, now undistorted, was Sylia's. "How soon can you get to my place?"

"Half an hour.

"I'll be waiting." There was a click, and the connection was cut.

Priss turned off the scrambler, it was a power glutton, then folded the phone shut before returning it to her jacket pocket.

It looked like they had a new job. "I hope it pays well," Priss said as she started towards where her bike was parked. She shook her head. "Damn, I'm beginning to talk like Linna."

* * *

"So, who is he?" Priss asked, looking up at the screen.

"Andrews Yoshiro-hakase," Sylia said. "Thought to be one of the foremost experts on boomer theory."

"Better than you?"

Sylia only smiled. "We've been hired to extract him from Genom."

"Does he want to go?"

"According to our clients."

"Do you believe them?"

"I think I do. There seems to be an upset of some sort in Genom that may be related to him. I am told they tried to pick him up last night, but ended up losing him when Genom showed up."

"Do they think he is still alive?" Priss asked.

"They are not sure. They have no idea where he might be and want our help in finding him."

"Why do they think we can find him?"

"I'm not sure if they do, but they are desperate."

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I've already sent a message to Nene asking her to find out what she can. I have other people looking for Andrews-hakase, both within and without Genom."

"If he is in Genom it will be hard to get him out."

"If he is in Genom he is either dead or does not what to leave."

"So it is not our problem. And if he is out?"

"Then Genom will want him dead, which is one of the reasons we have been hired," Sylia said.

"Sounds like fun. What's Linna up to?"

"Nothing, right now."

"Think if we need her while she is dancing that she will come?"

"I suppose we will find out."

"Gone to see her perform yet?"

"No," Sylia said. "You?"

"Maybe tonight, assuming I'm not up to anything."

"You've had contacts that have proven useful in the past. Can you go to them this time?"

"I can try, but they might not know anything. If this guy is good at hiding himself, good enough to avoid Genom, I'm not sure how easy he will be to find."

"Anything you do may be of use."

Priss nodded. "I might need some money."

"You'll have it."

"Anything else?"

"How's the new house coming along?"

"Good. It's pretty expensive, but I knew that would be the case. You lost a lot of money at the price you sold it to me to."

"As I said before, tax write off," Sylia told her.

"Well, thanks anyway."

"You're welcome."

"Can I borrow your piano?"

Sylia sighed. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," Priss got to her feet. "Once I finish up here I'll go and see what I can find out."

Sylia nodded and watched as Priss walked from the room.

* * *

With her promotion and transfer to Leon's squad Nene's level of clearance had increased significantly. She had direct access into almost all of the sections of the computer system; the rest simply required a little creative work on her part.

She picked up a ride and poppy seed cracker and took a bite from it. She was reading over Lieutenant Akamura's report of the night before and what she had found. She was now fairly certain that 55Cs had been involved from the torn clothing. There had been two types of synthetic skin on site as well.

One had been a fairly standard type, made by a factory in Thailand, used exclusively by Genom, and found among the clothing that had been tagged as belonging to the 55Cs. Which of course proved nothing. The other skin was a cheap, generic type, made by a company in Germany. Again, it proved nothing.

A trace on the boomer parts that had been found in Ueno led Akamura-keibu to suggest that the boomers had been put together from the parts of maybe eighteen boomers. She was tracing them; six so far had led to scrap reports. She also suspected some parts were missing, specifically two of the heads.

Interesting, but it was not what Nene was looking for.

Captain Yamano's reports were of less help. She was still looking for a Genom connection. Nene could have told her what the connection was, but she would not.

Nothing in any of the reports Nene was reading suggested that anyone else was looking for Andrews-hakaseat least none of the official agencies.

Nene finished off her sembe and took another from the bag. Where to look now? she wondered. How do you find someone who is hiding, and in a city MegaTokyo's size? Hotels and hostels, and similar places would be too obvious. Genom would have checked them already. In fact most of the places she could think of would have already been looked at by Genom.

Might he send up a signal of some sort, by accident? Possibly, but what? Think Nene, she told herself. What would he be trying to do? Get out of the city, get out of Japan, away from Genom. Getting away from Genom would be hard. The company had holdings world wide. Who could help him?

A country? Nene thought about that. Possible, there were many countries that might be willing to take him in, to protect him, if he was willing to give them information about Genom. In some ways that would put him very much out in the open. Not a good thing really, not with Genom.

Another company then, that was possible. He could stay hidden that way. It would have to be a powerful one, to keep him safe. If he was looking for a company to go to... Nene turned in her chair and placed her fingers on the keyboard. She could look for requests for information about those big companies. It was a bit of a long shot, and assumed he was not hiding his work in some way, but it would be worth giving it a try.

"Romanova-san," she heard Kaoru say.

Staying calm, Nene looked over her shoulder. "Wada-san, what is it?"

"Want to go for lunch?" he asked her, smiling. "Almost noon."

"Is it?" Nene asked, a little surprised. She looked at the clock display on her computer. "I lost track of time."

"That interesting?" he asked as he walked towards her.

"Just some interesting ideas I was playing around with," she told him as she began to shut down the computer.

"I hope I did not disturb you."

"No," Nene assured him. "I should take a break anyway."

"I'm glad I can be of assistance then," he told her, smiling.

"It's probably why I like you so much," Nene said as she finished shutting down the computer. She suddenly realised what she had said. "As a friend," Nene added quickly as she got to her feet.

Kaoru simply smiled. "Let's go."

Nene nodded and grabbed her purse from the desk, then walked with him from the office. They went to the Hard Extraction, as usual. Nene ordered a salad, not feeling very hungry, Kaoru got a large bowl of ramen and a hamburger.

They ate and talked during the meal. It was a fairly standard lunch date for the two. Kaoru asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner, but Nene had to decline. Sylia had told her to keep herself ready for action, and had also called a meeting for that night.

Nene was almost finished her meal when she looked over at Kaoru. "Kaoru-san, if you were trying to hide, how would you do it?"

"Pardon?" he asked her, obviously surprised by the question.

"I'm playing this online RPG, and right now we're looking for this person who has gone into hiding."

"Is that why you lost track of time earlier?" he asked with a smile.

Nene smiled back. "Maybe."

"Okay, what's the deal with this game?"

"The person is being hunted for by a lot of other groups, and they have not found him. I'm not sure how to search."

"Well, if I had to hide, I think I would hide as someone else."

Nene gave him a questioning look.

"If you can, and I don't know what the rules of this game you are playing allows, taking over another person's life is a good way to hide. There is no way to find the person then."

Nene nodded. "I'm not sure the technology allows for that."

"Well, you could do it with someone who is a shut in maybe," he told her. "I hope you win this game."

"You can't win an RPG," Nene said offhandedly.

"I suppose. Are you off tomorrow?"

"Yes, and Sunday, in theory. If something comes up Leon can call me in. What about you?"

"Yes."

"Maybe we could do something."

"I'd love to, but I'm heading up North to visit with family."

"Maybe next time," Nene said happily. While she would have liked to spend some of the weekend with Kaoru, her work with the Knight Sabers might interfere.

"Maybe," he said nodding.

* * *

**Tech Notes**: The Boomer Cat was one of Genom's failed projects, or one that was cancelled for various reasons. No one really knows. Officially the project was cancelled due to lack of funds.

If marketed the small, quadruped boomers would have been hyped as pets that need little care and made no messes; A pet that could double as a security system; Give your elderly parents a pet and a monitoring station. There were among the way it was thought that the cat (and dogs) might be marketed.

That they would also make perfect spies was never actually said, but it was certain it was considered. The skeletal system was made out of very strong, very light plastics, and the muscles were the same that any boomer uses. Power systems were housed behind the ribs; the brain was put in the head. That still left a lot of internal space, which in the production models was to be filled up with air and saline bladders to maintain shape and feel.

That the bladders could be removed and other things put on was not lost on those who knew boomers.

After the project was cancelled all the units, but for a few, were chopped up and recycled.

Nene's cat has been modified from the standard design. Sylia has put a fuel cell into it, as opposed to the original batteries, which gives it an operating time of close to thirty hours. Mind you, since the cat has the ability to access power sources, in a city like MegaTokyo it could operate for months without needing any care.

With the extra power Sylia also boosted the power the cat's muscles are capable of producing, As well at heat, unfortunately. While never seen in the story, the cat can produce heat dissipation fins to cope with this, though it will be obvious that it is no ordinary cat-if things like multi story jumps and near car speed haven't given it away. At times like this that Cat's signature goes down quite a bit.

She also put a hacking computer in the cat, for Nene's use. Nene basically has a computer (deck) that looks like a cat. Give it the same stats as a Navotech Slimcase 10.

As well as transmitters and ECM/ECCM gear, the cat also has a signal booster, much like that of a rating 8 cyberlimb signal booster. It might be loud, but it will get the job done.

While a boomer pet might have sold for around 500000 yen, Nene's cat is much, much more expensive than that.

_"If we were to cast aside every man who had made a mistake once, useful men could likely not be come by. A man who makes a mistake once will be considerably more prudent and useful because of his repentance. A man who has never erred is dangerous"  
_- **Anonymous**


	23. Satisfaction For A Sin 6

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (6 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Priss showed up late. There was dried blood on her clothes. Sylia did not ask her why she was late.

"What have you found out?" Sylia asked, starting with Nene.

"Nothing really useful. Genom has not made any official statements, but I think they are making inquiries through their unofficial contacts in various organisations. It is all very subtle."

"Is there anyone in the ADP who might give Andrews-hakase help?"

"Probably, but there are some who would not. I have not seen any sign of it."

Sylia nodded and looked over at Priss.

"I talked to some people I knew, then went some places where people can disappear. I think Genom got there firstpeople were scared and not interested in speaking." Priss pulled her jacket away revealing a bloody rip in her shirt. "I don't think we will find him in that sort of place."

"Are you all right?" Sylia asked her.

"It's just a scratch," Priss told her.

Sylia nodded. "I suppose I should not be surprised. If Andrews-hakase planned to hide, I suspect he took much of what Genom was capable into account. It will make him very difficult to find."

"A friend of mine told me the best way to hide was to take over someone else's life," Nene said.

"Don't be stupid," Priss told her.

"I'm not being stupid," Nene snapped.

"She's not," Sylia said, ending the shouting match before it began. "The easiest way to find someone who has gone to ground is to ask people if they have seen anyone new in their area. If you can enter an area so no one notices it makes it very hard to be found."

"So what, he disguises himself as someone else?"

"He could," Sylia told her. "But he need not do so. It might be as simple into moving into an apartment after getting rid of the old tenant."

"But the original tenant," Nene said, not wanting to think too much about the how one might get rid of the tenant in question, "would have to be someone who did not leave their apartment very often."

"Yes. Such people are not too difficult to find in the city this size, but you would still have to be careful. There are few people who completely cut themselves off like that. I suppose we could start looking for them."

"How are you going to look for them?" Priss asked.

"There are records of sorts that can be helpful."

"He might not have chosen such a person."

Sylia nodded.

"I have an idea."

"Amazing," Nene said softly, picking up her teacup.

Priss ignored the jibe. "I'll need some money," she told Sylia.

"How much?"

"Half a million yen should be enough."

Sylia thought about for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Anything else?"

"No, that should be enough."

"Might I ask what you plan to do?"

"I'm going to check out District 24, talk to some people. An old friend of mine once told me it was the place to disappear in the city, and the place is full of shut-ins."

"District 24?" Nene asked, almost choking on her tea. "That place is dangerous."

"It is a difficult place to get any information out of," Sylia said, not sounding as concerned as Nene.

"I know someone," Priss told her.

Sylia nodded and got to her feet. "I'll get the money."

Priss stood, as did Nene, following Sylia towards her office. Priss entered with her while Nene stood just outside looking in. Sylia opened a cabinet, revealing a safe. She knelt down and entered the combination code.

"Only six numbers?" Nene asked, having listened to the beeps.

"Each of the keys reads the patterns on my finger tips," Sylia told her as she pulled open the door. "You have to use the right fingers on the right keys."

Nene nodded, "That would make it difficult to crack."

"I thought so," Sylia told her. "Old or new bills?" she asked Priss.

"Old might be better."

Sylia removed a bundle of slightly worn bills. She pulled the paper band from around them and flipped through the stack of ten thousand yen bills. "Here," she held out half the bundle towards Priss.

"Great," Priss said, taking the money. She flipped through it while Sylia closed the safe door, and then the cabinet. "Can I get an envelope."

"Of course," Sylia said, walking to her desk, She went through the drawers until she found a large manila envelope, which she then held out to Priss.

"Perfect," Priss said as she took the envelope. She then slid the bills into the envelope before folding it closed around the money.

"Let me know how it goes," Sylia told her.

"I will," Priss said as she slid the money into her jacket pocket. "Later." She walked towards the office door.

"Don't forget to bring a receipt back," Nene said as Priss passed by her.

"Shut up little girl," Priss said as she lightly slapped Nene across the top of her head.

"Ouch," Nene said loudly. "That hurt!"

"Ah, I'm sorry," Priss said insincerely as she walked away.

"You're an idiot," Nene said, but not so loudly that Priss might hear her.

"Nene-san," Sylia said, standing right beside her.

"Hai?" Nene was a little surprised to find Sylia that close.

"Come with me," she said, walking from her office, turning down the hall towards the elevator.

Nene followed after Sylia, wondering what she wanted. Sylia pressed the elevator call button, the door slid open a moment later. Sylia stepped inside the car, Nene a step behind.

"Do you think Priss-san will be all right?" Nene asked as Sylia pressed the button for the second basement.

"I don't see why she shouldn't be," Sylia told her.

"It's just that District 24 is dangerous. The ADP does not like going in there, when they do it is with full combat vehicles."

"District 24 is dangerous, but Priss-san will not be in any danger." The Elevator doors opened. "It is an environment that she is used to." Sylia stepped from the car.

"I sometimes wonder if Priss is as tough as she thinks she is," Nene said.

"I suspect that Priss-san might wonder that herself," Sylia said quietly.

"What?" Nene asked, not sure what Sylia had said.

"Nothing," Sylia said, opening the door to the office she used down there. "There it is."

"What?" Nene asked, looking about. Then she saw it. Lying on the desk, looking as if it was asleep, was the boomer cat. "It's working?" Nene asked.

"Wake up," Sylia called.

The cat's eyelids opened, revealing the yellow green eyes. The cat got up, yawned, stretched out and then licked a paw before leaping down onto the floor and walking over to Sylia.

Sylia shook her head, smiling slightly. "I'm almost certain it takes a certain sense of pride out of such actions."

"Really?" Nene asked excitedly, looking down at the cat. "It's that smart?"

"No doubt," Sylia said. She looked down at the cat. "Listen." The cat looked up at her, giving her all of its attention. "This is Romanova Nene-san, your new master. Understand?"

The cat let out a single meow.

"Does that mean yes?" Nene asked.

"I suspect so."

The cat shifted its attention to Nene, then walked over to her, circling around her ankles and purring loudly.

"So cute," Nene said, kneeling down to pick the cat up-it was heavier than last time she had held it.

"What are you going to call it?" Sylia asked.

Nene gently stroked the fur between the cat's ears. "I don't know. Johnson-san called it Lucky."

"A good name I suppose."

"I'm not sure. I think I'll call it Neko," Nene said.

"That's not so much a name as a description."

"I like it, ne Neko-chan," Nene said.

The cat let out a meow.

* * *

Terrence sat back in his chair, staring out of the hotel room window. The sun had nearly set and the lights were coming on. Somewhere out there was Yoshiro Andrews. While he could not be sure he was almost certain that Genom was also looking for him. That told him that Yoshiro had not betrayed him.

He had gathered up what was left of his resources, and had set them trying to find Yoshiro. His employers needed Yoshiro, needed his knowledge. He had no choice but to find the man. It was going to prove difficult, he was sure, but he had set things up as best he could.

Terrence stood, moving smoothly with no signs of the injuries he had taken the night before. He turned and walked towards his bedroom door. He had to speak with his people, move onto the next stage of their plan.

When he opened the door her was presented with an impossible scene.

It was not so much at that all four of them were down, likely dead, but that it had happened so quietly. Though the walls of the suite were thick, he had not thought that four people could die without him hearing it.

Standing, her back to him, was the slight form of a teenaged girl. Her long blonde hair was flecked with blood. She was standing over the body of his second in command. It looked as if the man's head had been turned completely around.

"Someone wishes to speak with you," she said, still not turning to face him.

"Who are you?" Terrence asked, keeping his voice calm.

"That's not important Lecoix-san. I hope you will come without a problem."

Terrence flexed his right arm slightly. From his wrist slid a 20 centimetre long blade. It was normally stored between his ulna and radial bones. Such a quiet weapon. "I don't think I have a choice."

"I'm glad you see it that way," she said. Even as she was speaking Terrence launched himself forward, silently covering the distance between them. He lifted the blade up, getting ready to drive it down into her unprotected back.

Then she was gone. Just like that.

Before he could do anything he felt someone behind him, and a hand grasped his wrist. It all happened so fast. His arm being twisted behind his back, his body slammed down onto the desk, a wet, meaty ripping sound that he could not place.

Then a blade was driven down into the desk, just in front of his eyes. It looked so familiar, but he was not sure where he had seen it. Blood ran down the metal of the long knife, pooling on the desk. That was when he recognised it. It had been ripped from his arm. Suddenly he felt the pain.

Akiko held him there, staring down at him. "As you said, you don't have a choice."

Terrence gritted his teeth against the pain and wondered what sort of monster this girl was.

* * *

Priss had to slow down on the beat up road. District 24 was not a place that had seen much in the way of reconstruction after the quake. The residents had done some work, mostly getting power lines and cables back up.

The only reason that District 24 survived was because of the power generator; the locals called it KaminarimonThunders Gate. It had been built as an experimental, deep, geothermal generator, designed to survive an earthquake. An unparalleled success by all accounts, and completely useless with the advent of cheap fusion.

Still, the residents of the district were quite pleased with it.

Mamoru had known the area well, and he had made sure that the rest of his people had also known it. No better place to hide he had often said.

Priss slowed her bike down even more as she began to enter the main streets, crowded with people and vehicles.

Most of MegaTokyo thought that District 24 was home to the poor, the destitute, those with nothing else. It was partly true, but only partly. There were those in the district who were well off, some who were rich. They had drifted into 24 for the simple reason that there was no where else for them. Perhaps they were fugitives. Perhaps the rest of the world just did not make sense to them.

Priss stopped the bike at an intersection, waiting for an old truck to slowly rumble by. She watched the people around her, matching the predatory stares that were being directed at her. It was among the best ways to avoid problems.

The truck exited the intersection and Priss drove on, heading deeper and deeper into the district. There was a sense of decay in the air, of despair. Almost every building showed signs of quake damage. The repairs that had been made had mostly been made with trash, recycled items. And then there were the people, many of them sporting obvious cyberneticsa fashion that had fallen out of favour in other places.

She saw a lot of young people, often standing by a corner, selling themselves more than likely. Priss doubted that many of them were as young as they looked. More likely they were under the effects of Growth Restraint pills. The eternal teenagers or children that had drifted down into District 24; it was not as if they could hope to get a regular job.

She drove past a pillar of TVs, set up like an altar around which monks sat, their straw hats pulled down low over their eyes. Priss slowed to avoid brushing against a tall man with dead eyes. She sped up, just before a group of well-dressed women, and their bodyguards, crossed the streets. Priss noticed that all the women had solid black eyes and they all looked very similar to one another.

She was getting close to her destination, and the roads were getting crowded. She pulled off the road, into an open space where cars and several other bikes were parked.

Priss shut off her bike and locked it up, then walked over to a small bundle of rags by the entrance. She pulled several creased bills from within her jacket and dropped them onto the ground.

From within the rags a hand shot out, thin, and pale, snatching the falling bills from the air, and one from the ground. Nothing was said, Priss just turned and walked down the street, pushing through the crowds. She was not worried about her bike. She had paid for its protection, and that meant a lot down in District 24.

Now that she was among the throng of humanity in the district she got a much better look at them. There were more cybernetics to see, as well as tattoos and ritual scarring. Clothing of all types, from different eras of history, and not just Japan's, could be seen down there.

Priss stepped aside to let a figure in full samurai armour, including a demonic menpo(mask), by. It was just good sense to give someone wearing the daisho room to pass. The people of the area respected intelligence, and picking stupid fights was often a good way to get killed. Ironically, it was also a way to avoid getting killed, in some cases.

Then there was the smell. It was quite strong. Unwashed humanity mixed with the spices of cooking food, and a thousand chemical smells, from perfumes to ozone. It was not really a bad smell, but a distinct one. What there was none of was the scent of flowers and green things. Nothing grew in District 24.

There were a lot of beggars in the area, and Priss dropped five hundred yen coins into their begging bowls. It was good to show that you had money, it meant you could protect it, but never good to show too much. Mamoru had told her that. She could almost picture him walking beside her, a disdainful look on his face, as if nothing could touch him. She could hear him, across time, telling her a little of this and a little of that.

Priss smiled slightly as she pushed through a group of people watching a street performer. Funny place to be to start remembering the good times. It made sense though. Nothing bad had ever happened to them in District 24. It was a surprisingly safe place, as long as you knew the rules, and were smart.

The smiled faded as she passed a dead body lying in an alley. A young man propped up against a pile of trash, his eyes milky with death, the needle of the syringe that had killed him still in the vein. People just passed by, leaving the dead to themselves. It was doubtful that anyone would claim the body. The organs of a drug addict would be of poor quality.

A surprisingly safe place, as long as you did not give into despair.

Priss continued along, not really looking at anything. She naturally fell into a relaxed stance, a disdainful look on her face, matching Mamoru without knowing it.

It was not long after that she came to her destination.

Club 666.

Its sign was the headless body of a pig, neon, or something like it, lettering worked into its side. It stood on a lighted panel, and tubes as well as cords ran into its neck. There was chain around its rear leg, as if it might run off. Priss had heard that it was still alive, as was the head, but she doubted that. The pig had probably long since died and been replaced or cybernetic parts placed in it to keep it standing.

She walked passed the disturbing sign and up to the front doors. The bouncer looked her over with a critical eye. She did the same. Club 666 had one basic policy. No slummers or posers allowed. It was Club for the real people of the area, and only them.

"Ten thousand yen cover," he said after a moment, noting the quality of her clothing.

Priss pulled a bill from the sleeve of her jacket. "Here's five thousand," she said, pressing the bill into his open hand. "Be happy with it." She walked by him, not looking back. He did not stop her from entering the club. He might have had she paid the entire ten thousand.

The interior of the club was dark, but bright at the same time. The neon signs and displays that were so prevalent in the area were not missing from the club, but they flashed, and were placed in such a way to throw a lot of shadows.

The dance floor was packed with people, much like those she had seen outside. They danced with a wild abandon of those who did not care. It was an intoxicating scene and Priss was hard pressed not to join them. There was power in not caring.

The music was loud, not much to it, but the drummer could keep a beat. It was music that could be danced to. The band was a rough looking group of teenagers, well, they looked like teenagers. In District 24 it was not as if you could be sure of anything. She stopped where she was, looking up at the stage, watching as the musicians shouted their lyrics out to an uncaring audience. Words did not matter to the dancers, only the beat.

She quietly wished the band luck, then pushed on.

It took her a little while, but she finally spotted the woman she was looking for, sitting in one of the mostly dark corners. Priss walked towards her, seeing things in the bright flashes of light that would illuminate that area every now and then.

She had not changed much since the last time Priss had seen her. That had been in the very club, to tell her that Mamoru had died. She had not seemed to care and Priss had shouted at her for it. Priss was not worried that she might hold that against her now. She was not that kind of person.

She was wearing a dark cocktail dress, maybe red, and black stockings. Her short black hair was spiky, and she wore a pair of sunglasses. As Priss got closer she saw how pale the woman's skin was, as if she had not seen the sun in some time. She probably had not.

She did not look as if she had noticed Priss, but when Priss got close she lifted a hand, her cybernetic one, and waved at Priss, then indicated the chair across from her.

"If it isn't Priss," she said. "Long time." It was quieter there so she did not have to shout to be heard.

"Yeah, a long time," Priss replied, taking a seat across from her. "How's it been Ritsuko?"

"Same as always Priss. It never changes down here. That's why I like it. How about you?"

"I'm doing all right," Priss told her. "My music career might actually be going somewhere."

"So you made a career out of it."

"You always said I would."

"I said a lot of things," Ritsuko said, smiling. "I was right about half the time, if that."

"Ever think about Mamoru?" she asked.

"Now and then."

"And you don't miss him?"

"No. It's pointless."

"Pointless?"

"He never really loved me, or you, or Kano, or any of us, not in the way we wanted him to," Ritsuko told her.

"Maybe."

"So do you miss him dear Priss?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure any longer."

"Moved on, or just realised that you never did miss him. You were just angry that someone else had died on you?"

"I missed him," Priss told her, "And I was angry."

"Still angry?"

"Maybe."

Ritsuko smiled. "So what's happening in the real world?"

"I thought you'd keep up."

"Can't. Not any longer. This place has become the sum total of my existence. If I actually tried to find out what was going on outside, well, that might be bad."

"And yet you ask me."

"I never trusted any of your reports. They were always too full of emotion to be useful."

It was Priss' turn to smile. "Things are like they have always been. Genom is nearly finished the rebuilding of the city. Another year and it will be like the quake never took place. Except for here."

"Do you think this place will never change?"

"I think time stands still here, or at least does not flow in the same way."

"That could be true, but we are not immune to the rest of the world. There is an ugly rumour circulating that says someone in the real world is thinking of shutting down Kaminarimon."

"Do you think it is true?"

"I don't know. It sounds like something someone in the real world would try, doesn't it?" Ritsuko said.

"Maybe, if they wanted this place. Why would they?"

"That's what I am asking myself."

"I don't think you have to worry," Priss told her.

"Why's that?"

"They need this place. It saves them from having to deal with people who have problems, just let them sink down here. And it gives them a pressure valve. I saw six or seven people, in those full cloaks, with their bodyguards, looking for those services that they can only get here. That is why they won't do anything. They need you."

"And I thought this place bred cynics."

Priss laughed at that.

"So, what brings you down to West Hell today?"

"I need a favour, can we..."

"Oi, Ritsuko-chan, who's your pretty friend," someone said, interrupting Priss.

Priss looked into the lenses of Ritsuko's glasses and saw the two men behind them. Hard to say in such a reflection, but they looked big. Ritsuko seemed unconcerned.

"Go away Genji," she said flatly.

"That 's not very nice," the one called Genji said, coming around the table. He was big, head shaved, muscles all over. He walked over to Ritsuko and reached down, cupping her chin in his big hand. "Why don't you like me."

"The list is endless," Ritsuko said simply.

"Come on Ritsuko. Can't you be nice to me and my brother? We want to be nice to you."

"Yeah Ritsuko," a voice said from behind Priss. "We just want to be friends with you and your friend." Priss felt a hand lay across her shoulder.

"You are making a mistake Genji," Ritsuko said, reaching for her drink. She moved her chin away from his hand.

"Take your hand off me," Priss said, not moving at all.

"My brother is just being friendly, isn't that right Maike?"

"Yeah, I just want to be friends," he said, gripping Priss' shoulder a little tighter.

"Take your hand off me," Priss said once more. "I won't ask again."

"I think your friend is anti-social," Genji said.

"Yeah, anti-social," Maike said, parroting his brother.

"This is going to get messy," Ritsuko said softly.

"What?" Genji asked.

Priss reached up, across her body, and grasped Maike's index and middle fingers and wrenched them back. Both came out of the socket with a wet pop. Maike was only beginning to register the pain and Genji only beginning to realise that something was wrong when Priss stood, keeping her hold on Maike's hand, forcing his arm up. Even as she stood she lashed out with her elbow, adding the strength of her legs with the action, slamming it into his underarm.

The force of the blow popped his arm neatly from the socket. Priss felt the stitches in her leather jacket rip.

Priss continued the action, twisting at her hip, letting her arm continue out, folding her fingers into a fist. Just before her hand slammed into Maike's face she tensed up her muscles, hitting him hard.

The big man went over, falling to the ground with an audible thump.

Genji screamed, reaching into his coat, pulling free a knife, leaping towards Priss.

Priss stepped to the sidea technique that Linna had taught herand reached out, grasping the inside of Genji's arm. She pulled, using his momentum to yank him off balance, sending him stumbling forward.

She used her own momentum to come about, slamming her elbow into the back of his head as he went by. She let herself continue to spin and lashed out with a sidekick, putting the blade of her foot into the small of his back. With her riding books on the kick was devastating.

Genji was lifted into the air, came down, bounced, and then slid, on his face, into several chairs.

"They never learn," Ritsuko commented quietly. "Of course they are rather thick-skulled."

Almost as if to prove this assessment, Maike stood up. His right arm hung limply at his side, but the pain of the dislocation did not seem to be affecting him.

He threw a punch at Priss that might have broken her neck had it connected. He had telegraphed it and Priss had plenty of time to step aside.

She fired off several jabs into his exposed left side. It was an awful lot like hitting a wall, but at least this wall seemed to feel it. She noticed in a far off way that the music had stopped, and the lights had come up.

Maike roared and snapped his elbow back towards her. Priss ducked, and watched as the attack spun him around so he ended up with his back to her. Well, if he was going to make it easy, Priss thought as she snapped a punch into his dislocated shoulder.

He screamed. Priss launched a kick up between his legs. Her foot connected with a cup, making a dull thud. Still, it was a solid hit and it lifted him a little off the ground, and no doubt hurt. Just not enough to put him down.

Priss moved back, wanting a little space between her and the big man. That brought her close to where Genji had slid. He was pushing himself up to his hands and knees. Priss kicked him in the ribs and he fell to the floor again. As she was having enough trouble with his brother, she did not need him up causing trouble.

Maike had turned and was running at her, but not full out. He was using a little more care this time. Still, Priss was able to avoid him easily enough. She fell back, avoiding his attacks using the minimum amount of energy necessary. She let him tire himself out. It was not as if he had the limitless energy of a boomer.

Finally he made a mistake, over extending himself in a desperate attempt to make contact. Priss took hold of his arm and gave it a pull. He could not stop himself from falling forward. Priss stepped around him, yanking his arm behind his back, putting his left hand against the opposite shoulder blade.

She shifted him about, and ran him towards the big fish tank with its man-faced fish. Even as she was doing it Priss realised that she was going too far. When the glass broke he would probably die, throat cut by the razor sharp shards. She could not help herself though. It was the effect of the place she was in. It brought back all the old feelings.

Priss was rather surprised when the glass held. Maike's face slammed into it, the blood from his nose exploding all over the glass. Priss drew him back, then slammed him against the glass again; suddenly curious as to if the glass or his head would break first.

She might have continued her experiment to its conclusion but on the third slam she spotted Genji's reflection in the aquarium glass.

Fairly certain that Maike was no longer in any shape to continue the fight she made as if to slam his head against the glass once more, but instead whipped him about, putting him between herself and the knife strike Genji had been aiming at her back.

Genji hastily aborted the attack, the action throwing him off balance. He was unprepared for Priss, who dropped Maike's heavy body and came in at him. She quickly disarmed him, then sent a reverse punch directly into his solar plexus. He dropped like a stone.

Priss was hardly finished. She began to kick him as he lay on the ground. Somehow he managed to curl up into a ball, his hands over his head in a desperate attempt to protect it.

Priss kicked him until she heard the snap of ribs. She suddenly stepped back, looking between Maike and Genji, both lying on the ground, groaning pitifully. Neither would be getting up soon.

Priss looked around, suddenly aware she had drawn a crowd. People were standing around, looking at her, and the two men, lying on the floor at her feet. There was a mixture of emotions on their faces; some looked as if they would like to be Priss' next opponent. Priss could see the bouncers moving through the crowd towards her.

She shifted into a fighting stance, ready to do what was needed when the sound began to fill the nearly silent club. It was wet, meaty sound, like someone slapping two raw steaks together.

Everyone looked towards the sound, even the bouncers.

Sitting in her shadowy niche the Queen was clapping, her fat hands slapping together. She was a large, obese woman, naked but for the necklaces she wore, and the helmet that covered the upper part of her head. Various tubes, perhaps cables, ran into her bloated, pale skin, providing nutrients and removing wastes.

She continued clapping for several seconds, then stopped. She lifted one of her hands, the fingers covered with rings, and pointed in Priss direction. "She entertains us."

The tense feeling in the club faded away. The Queen had spoken; no one would say anything against her. A moment later the lights faded and the band started playing again, as if nothing had happened.

The bouncers came up to where Priss was but did not touch her. They grabbed Maike and Genji and then dragged them off towards the exit.

After a moment Priss relaxed and shifted out of her fighting stance. She looked about, then down at the floor. She took her boot and ran it through a puddle of blood, smearing it across the concrete. She could hardly see it in the darkness. Priss shook her head, then walked back to where Ritsuko still sat.

"Have fun?" Ritsuko asked, smiling.

"That was not fun."

"Liar."

"What?"

"You are a liar. You enjoyed that. It was liberating."

"No." Priss shook her head.

"Yes you did. In the real world that little scuffle would have had you arrested for assault, perhaps even attempted murder. Here..." she stopped and looked off to the side. Priss looked as well. A waitress was wheeling a cart covered in bottles towards them. "Here it gets you free drinks."

"That's not how it is."

"Then how is it?"

Priss said nothing as the waitress parked the cart beside them. "With the Queen's compliments," she said, then turned and walked away.

"Pretty sweet isn't it," Ritsuko said, taking a bottle of beer from a cooler of ice.

"It is not like that," Priss repeated.

"Of course it is," Ritsuko said, flicking the cap off her beer with her cybernetic arm. "I suspect you've been looking for a fight since you got here. This place sings in your ears doesn't it? Reminds you of the days you could do what you wanted. Those were good days weren't they?"

"It is not like that!" Priss said, anger in her tone.

"Oh?" Ritsuko asked, her tone suddenly innocent. "Did I seem concerned over Genji and his brother?"

"No," Priss said, a little angry, a little confused. "That was part of the reason I had to do something."

"I didn't do anything because they are annoying, but harmless. You must have known that. You pushed it into a fight because you wanted it."

Priss opened her mouth to object, but she said nothing.

Ritsuko took a long pull from the bottle, then placed it on the table. "Your hands are bleeding."

Priss looked down at her hands. There were a number of small cuts and abrasions on her knuckles, and a deep cut across her index finger on her left hand. "Itai(ow)," she said, though it did not really hurt.

Reaching out to the cart Priss looked through the bottles until she found a bottle of water. She twisted the cap off and poured the water over her hands, letting the blood tinted water wash down onto the concrete.

When she looked up Ritsuko was holding out a handkerchiefgrey from too many washingstowards her. She held it in her cybernetic hand. Priss reached out and took it, then wrapped it around her left hand.

"So Priss, just why did you come here?"

Priss tied off the handkerchief then looked up at Ritsuko. "I need some help."

"What kind of help?"

"Information."

Ritsuko put her half-empty bottle of beer on the table. She looked over the bottles in the cart then grabbed the shouchuu(Japanese whisky). "Come on, let's go some place where we can talk." Ritsuko got to her feet, then grabbed her coat from the seat beside her. She slung the coat over her shoulder with one hand and kept hold of the bottle with the other.

Priss got up and followed her towards the rear of he club. They exited through a back door and stepped out into a dark alley. Ritsuko did not seemed concerned about the locale so Priss took a cue from her and maintained a relaxed pace as she followed the other woman into the darkness.

About a hundred meters down the twisting alley Ritsuko stopped and did something to part of the wall. Priss could not tell what she had done but there was a creak as a door opened into somewhere darker than the alley. "Come on," Ritsuko said, moving into the darkness. After a moment Priss followed. "Move a little further in, don't worry, it's pretty open," Ritsuko said from off to her side.

Priss did as she was told, and listened to the sound of the door closing behind her. For a moment she could see nothing, then there was soft, red glow from behind her. She turned and saw Ritsuko standing behind her, holding what looked like a wand in her hand; the red glow came from it.

"This is a secure room, more or less. We can talk here without worrying about being overheard. Let me just make sure that it is still secure." She moved about the room, waving the wand about. It was not a large room so it did not take her long to scan the entire thing. "Give me your cel phone."

Priss took her cel phone from her pocket and handed it to Ritsuko. Ritsuko took her NAVI from her jacket and then placed both units into a box, which she then closed. "I don't think either units have the power to get through the walls, but it never hurts to be sure."

"This seems extreme," Priss said.

"There are a lot of secrets down here," Ritsuko said, turning on a small light. It was the same soft red as the one on the wand, which she turned off. "Best to be safe. Give me a second." She took some glasses from a cabinet and handed one to Priss. She filled Priss' glass with shouchuu then her own. "Kampai(cheers)," she raised her glass.

Priss lifted her glass to Ritsuko's, they chimed together, sounding loud in the quiet room.

"So, tell me what you want." Ritsuko took a drink from her glass.

"I need to find someone."

"And you think this person is down here?"

"I suspect."

"Who?"

"This Doctor on the run from Genom."

"Got a name?"

"Do you need one?"

"It depends on what you want. What do you want?"

"I was thinking of something Mamoru said, and something a friend said. Remember how he said that he'd just move into an apartment owned by some shut-in if he ever needed to hide?"

"Yes. It was not much of a plan."

"Mamoru was not perfect. I was thinking that his plan had a solid base."

"The hard thing would be finding the right shut-in."

"What if you set up your own shut-in?"

Ritsuko nodded. "That could work, maybe. You bank roll someone who needs it, then keep an eye on them."

"Right, but no matter how cut off from human contact a person is, they do have to interact with people to one extent or another. Something should show up."

"So you want me to find anyone who might have been this Doctor's place holder?"

"Yes."

"I can do that. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Find the places where we can look. Don't make any sort of contact yourself."

"All right, sounds straight-forward. It may be costly."

Priss reached into her jacket and handed the envelope over to Ritsuko. "I've put a number where you can reach me in here, if you find something or need more money."

"Sounds good," Ritsuko said, stuffing the envelope into her own pocket. "I take it you want me to keep things quiet?"

"Very quiet."

"I like quiet as well. It usually means things are safer."

"This could get very hot."

"I know. There are rumours down here. I know how to be careful."

"Needed to be said."

"Thanks. Let's go."

"Where?"

"Back to the club, for at least a few hours. If you just leave now it will stand out." She put her empty glass down and then opened the box she had put her NAVI and Priss' cel phone into. "Here," she said, handing Priss her phone back.

"Thanks."

Ritsuko nodded, then reached over and turned the light out, plunging the room into darkness. "Let your eyes adjust to the dark for a couple of seconds," Ritsuko said. Priss could hear her footsteps as she walked across the floor. After a few seconds she opened the door. It seemed well lit to Priss after the darkness of the room.

She stepped out into the alley, Ritsuko following, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Terrence was secured to a chair. It was the sort of chair that one might find in dentist's office. His right arm had been treated by the boomer in the room with him. The bleeding had been expertly stopped the wound sutured and packed, and a dressing put around it.

The boomer was one of those paramedic units that Genom had recently put out. It looked surprisingly human, with a female form. She finished putting the instruments into a sink for cleaning and then turned to face him. "I have some questions for you Mr. Lecoix," she said in a warm voice.

"I won't say anything," he told her. While he knew he should not say anything, the fact that a boomer was interrogating him angered him.

She looked at him for a moment, then turned and picked up a small bottle from a tray table beside the chair. She held it up in the air and began turning it back and forth. The black liquid within moved like syrup.

Next she picked up a syringe, used her teeth to remove the cap from the needle, then held the bottle up and slid the needle through the rubber seal. She depressed the plunger, filling the bottle with air before she pulled the plunger back, filling the barrel of the syringe with the black liquid. She then removed the needle from the bottle, put the bottle aside, and put the cap back on the needle.

"It's not a question as to whether you will say anything," she told him, setting the syringe aside. She picked up a rubber hose and tied it around his upper arm. "It's how much you will suffer before saying it. I don't want you to suffer," she told Terrence sincerely.

Terrence looked up at her, wondering just what sort of creatures Genom was using.

* * *

Domino was watching the interrogation session through a two-way mirror, watching as the paramedic boomer began her work. She did not think it would take too long.

"Why are you using a paramedic unit Odotte-san?" Akiko asked from beside her.

"Various reasons," Domino told her. "The fact is she does not want him to suffer, and that comes through, so even as she is hurting him, it is like she is his friend. It makes it much more difficult for him to hold out. She also really does not like doing this so when I erase this from her memory, she'll happily let it go."

"It's a little cruel," Akiko said.

"More than a little," Domino said. "Why are you here?"

"Pardon Odotte-san?" Akiko looked over at Domino.

"There is no need for you to watch this."

"I brought him here," she said simply. "Usually by this time I'd be put back into cryo-storage. I wanted to see the end effect."

Domino nodded and turned back towards the scene in the room. Terrence had begun to thrash about in his chair. The drug was starting to have its effect. The paramedic unit was wiping away the beads of perspiration that appeared on his forehead.

Questions were asked and were eventually answered; though the man suffered greatly for each one. The paramedic unit was pleading with him, begging him to answer them so she could stop hurting him.

Domino eventually ordered Akiko away, sending her up to the apartment she maintained in the Tower. She did not mind that Akiko showed remorse and wanted to see the effects of her work, it spoke well of her in many ways. Still, it did Domino no good if she tore herself up too much over it.

Finally Terrence had answered all the questions they had for him. He lay in the chair, gasping, looking wasted and empty. Domino entered the room and walked over to his side. His eyes were empty, seeing nothing. Domino looked up at the boomer.

"The brain damage is irreversible," she said.

"Put him out of his misery," Domino told her.

The boomer nodded and quickly produced a syringe full of a fast acting poison, heavily laced with opiates. A moment of exquisite pleasure before death. Domino watched as she administered the injection, watched as Terrence's body relaxed completely, his eyes rolled back as a smile formed on his face. Then he died.

Domino turned to look at the boomer. "Put yourself into rest mode and erase all records from four hours in the past until now. Internal records will show you spent all that time in rest mode."

The boomer walked over to a chair on the far side of the room and sat down. She closed her eyes, sagging forward a little.

Domino turned her attention back to the dead body lying in the chair. She had to get rid of that.

* * *

Akiko was sitting on the couch when Domino entered the apartment. She looked up at her.

"It's over," Domino told her. "He gave us everything he could."

Akiko nodded.

"I'm going to move you into an apartment not far from here. You'll live with another of my operatives, though she will tell you that she is not my operative. It is a fiction I let her have as it makes her feel better."

"I'm not sure I understand," Akiko said.

"Don't worry, she will probably explain it all to you. You two will be good for each other I think. She could use someone to look like a guardian and you need someone who has lived a life."

"Isn't there something I should be doing?"

Domino shook her head. "Not now. I promised you a life, and you'll get it," Domino told her, binding the sexaroid closer to her with her words.

"Thank you," Akiko said.

Domino nodded as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled forth her NAVI.

She was about to enter Rebecca's number when Akiko spoke. "You're a 33-S, aren't you." It was not a question.

Domino stood there for a moment, hand poised over the keypad of her NAVI. She looked over at Akiko and said nothing for a time. "How did you know?" she finally asked.

"The way you move, the way you react, the sense of complete control you have over yourself."

"I never thought it would be that obvious," Domino said, a little surprised.

"Few others would notice it," Akiko told her. "It just stood out for me, I guess I'm used to looking for things like that," she said it almost apologetically. "You aren't in any danger are you?"

Domino smiled at that. Already Akiko was thinking of her safety. D had been right. Sexaroids had a hard time not conforming to what the strong personalities around them wanted. For Sheffield-hakase she had been a daughter. For Domino she was going to be a protector, and a top class operative. "You need not worry. It is not something I'd like to have made public, but it is not a threat."

"How?" Akiko asked, the one word saying everything.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day," Domino told her, then she turned her attention back to the NAVI and entered Rebecca's number. "Now it is time for you to meet your new roommate."

* * *

"Thank you for taking me to dinner," Linna said. The third night had gone very well and she was feeling quite happy.

"Not at all," Devon said to her.

Linna smiled at the older man and watched as he drank his coffee. "Why me?"

"Pardon," he asked as he put the cup aside.

"Why take me out? Why not anyone else?"

Devon said nothing for a moment. "You reminded me of Andrea when she was younger."

"Kikuchi-sensei?"

"Yes. You and her share a certain drive. I enjoy dance, but I love dancers."

The statement surprised Linna a little, her surprise must have shown because Devon laughed. "Not necessarily physical love, but sometimes," he told her. "I'm often drawn to creative people, they have a spark in them that I find very attractive. Perhaps because I always lacked it."

"Isn't business a creative art?" Linna asked him.

"Not the way I did it. I used old lessons and applied them. They worked well. If they had not, I don't think I could have altered them to make them work."

"I think everyone can have that spark you talk about," Linna told him.

"Artists often say that. Sometimes I think they miss the fact they have a rare gift."

"Or maybe people just point to a gift as a reason not to try."

Devon smiled. "You could be right. I've heard that a few times before."

"So maybe it is true."

"Maybe." He picked up his coffee cup again and took a drink.

Linna looked about the restaurant and noticed, as she had before, that she and Devon seemed to be attracting a lot of attention from certain people.

"Why do I feel like I'm on stage again?" Linna asked.

"Ignore them," Devon told her. "They're just curious."

"About what?"

"About whether you are to be my next mistress," he said simply.

"What?"

"I've never been one to deny myself the company of attractive women. Whether just for a quiet dinner, or for something romantic. It has given me something of a reputation among certain people in the city. They wonder if I'm going to marry one."

"Is that why you invited me to dinner?" Linna's tone was coloured with a little anger, but only a little. She was flattered as well.

"I invited you to dinner because you are a beautiful young woman and I wished to spend some time with you. If it progresses further I will not be disappointed. That is it."

"You certainly seem sure of yourself," Linna said, all traces of anger gone from her voice. What an interesting man he was.

"I never said it would progress further," he told her good-naturedly.

"I guess you didn't," Linna smiled. "So, are you looking for a new mistress?"

"Not really. I have two all ready. I would not refuse a third if she were to enter my life."

The statement was so off the cuff, not a hint of embarrassment or pride in his voice. It was just a fact. "Some people might call you a dirty old man," Linna said, laughing softly.

"They have," he told her. "They've also said I rob the cradle at any given opportunity."

"You seem very open about it."

"Secrets are a dangerous things for a man like me to have."

"It's refreshing really," Linna told him.

"I'm glad you don't disapprove of this dirty old man's behaviour."

"I don't really think you are a dirty old man."

"Thank you."

Linna looked around again. "I wonder if they think I'm just after you for your money?" she asked quietly.

"Does it matter if they do? We both know that you aren't."

"My friends might say different. I've acquired something of a reputation for being a gold digger."

"Oh? And are you?"

"Sometimes it seems that way."

"Tell me about it," he said.

Linna looked at him. "Is this just a way to get me into your bed?"

"We'll see eventually I guess."

Linna smiled again. "I survived the quake, so did my parents," Linna told him. "I was one of the lucky ones."

Devon picked up the coffee decanter from the table and filled Linna's cup.

"Thank you," Linna said, picking up the cup then taking a drink. "It was hard in some ways, but not too bad. We still had our house, and each other. We picked up our lives and were willing to go on. Things were looking pretty good until that night."

Devon said nothing, just waited for her to go on.

"It was one of the first rogue boomer incidents, and the police teams they had thrown together to deal with the problem were not really up to it. Mistakes were made, no one wanted it to happen, it just did." Linna thought back to that night, of the tracer rounds ripping through the air around her, of the crashing sound of the construction boomer as it tore a path through the house, of the smell of blood. "I lost my parents that night."

"I'm sorry," Devon said.

Linna nodded. "It hurt, for a time, but I was old enough to move on, after some mourning. Then dance was just away to escape the pain, but as the pain faded, dance meant more and more to me. It was then that I decided to make it my life.

"That sort of thing is expensive though. I had to work part time jobs while attending school, and a lot of the money had to help my family. I had moved in with one of my aunts who had lost her husband, and another of my aunts was living there as well. It was quite an extended family." Linna smiled. "A distant cousin from Brazil even came to help the family. He taught me capoeira."

"A difficult time," Devon said.

"For everyone. I expect even the rich."

"You are too kind."

Linna shrugged her shoulders. "What money I could keep went to paying dance and martial arts teachers. I often had to arrange for private lessons just to fit them into my schedule," Linna said, a touch of pride in her voice.

"You're a strong, young woman."

Linna blushed slightly. "I just did what I needed to do."

"You did more than that."

Linna did not answer that, she just continued with her story. "As busy as I was with all of that, I still had time for a social life. Well, made time. I dated, and soon realised something."

"What?"

"There were a lot of cute, lazy guys out there that wanted me to buy them things."

"Pardon?"

"Well, not really that bad, but they often needed to borrow money. I mean everyone needed to borrow money once in a while, but it was not as if I could afford to give them anything. They never seemed to understand that, it was always, 'But Linna-chan, you work three part time jobs. Can't you just spare a thousand-yen?'

"I'd say no, there would be hurt feelings, and in the end I just got tired of it. That was when I started looking for people who had money before I started dating them."

"So you did not want their money, you just wanted them to not ask for your money."

"Yes. Not many people could understand that though. And then there were the artists."

"The artists?"

"I got it into my head that I should be dating other artists, that we should somehow be sharing our creative impulses. I was young and stupid. I still am I guess."

"Money problems again?"

"Not really. The thing about artists is that they often need a lot of support. I had a hard time giving that seeing as I was putting a lot of my attention into my dance. It would make the relationship very difficult until I would finally end it.

"When people asked my why I had dumped so and so, well, I couldn't really say, 'Because they wanted my support and I did not want to give it to them.' That would have made me sound like a selfish person. So instead I told them it was because they would never make any money. Which still made me sound selfish, but not quite so bad."

"And from all this you get a reputation as someone only interested in money."

"Yes."

"Unfortunate."

"I know."

"Well. Just so we can get his out in the open, I will never need to borrow money from you, nor will I ask for support of any kind."

Linna smiled. "Well, things are finally looking up."

* * *

Domino sat in her office, looking over various reports, making sure everything was as it should be. Her official work continued well enough, she was quite pleased with the way that things were going. Unofficially things were not looking as good.

Terrence Lecoix had known a lot, but he was ultimately an errand boy. He had been hired by his employers, of whom he had said little, almost a year before. He had first been a hired employee, but after his near death during the Knight incident his loyalty to employers had increased greatly. Their saving his life had done that.

He had told her about his first meeting with Yoshiro, soon after Largo had been destroyed. As far as Terrence had been able to tell Yoshiro had given his employers some information and had rebuilt a number of boomers.

She turned her attention to the lab report she had received on the boomer AI chips. All skilfully altered, cutting their connection to the OMS with only a five to ten percent loss in function. Very good, all things considered. She was positive it was Yoshiro's work.

It would be something to talk about with Yoshiro, once she had brought him back. That was for later, she thought.

Terrence had given them a large number of leads, which were being and would be checked out, but Domino would not be surprised if they found nothing. From the sounds of things the man's employers were very good at covering their tracks.

The news from Canada was mixed. It was unlikely that anyone would be using Aphros Industries as a front any longer. The family that controlled the company was doing an adequate job cleaning house. A show of good faith in order to keep Hou Bang and Genom from hurting them any further.

Surveillance had paid off, partially at least. Genom teams had spotted several people who had jumped ship just before the cleansing started. For the most part they were just corrupt, hoping to get clear before the evidence of their petty crimes were discovered.

Two were different, as far as Domino could tell. They had managed to identify one, with about ninety percent certainty, as Michelle Danielson, once of the RCMP. She had retired a little more than a year before, citing personal reasons. No one had seen her since then.

The other was an unknown. A woman with long, dark hair, possibly beautiful. A complete unknown. An unknown for now at least.

She suspected that Miss Danielson might have some useful information, if she could be brought in. Too many 'ifs'. Domino did not like them.

* * *

_"It is a fact that fish will not live where the water is too clear. But if there is duckweed or something, the fish will hide under its shadow and thrive. Thus, the lower classes will live in tranquillity if certain matters are a bit overlooked or left unheard"  
_- **Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	24. Satisfaction For A Sin 7

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (7 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**Friday, March 10 10:10am, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada**

It was a small house on the outskirts of Sudbury. There was certain amount of security and privacy to be found in the town. Strangers stood out, and yet were not greatly commented on. The SNO observatory brought in a number of scientists every year.

"Any news of Mr. Lecoix?" Michelle Danielson asked. She was sitting in a large chair behind a large desk. Behind her a window looked out on the blasted landscape of Sudbury. The blinds were partially closed, cloaking her in shadow.

"No Mistress," a woman with long brown hair said. Her eyes were a clear blue and she was very beautiful.

"It seems likely that he was captured. If so, he has most likely talked. This will effect our plans."

"Perhaps not Mistress. Mr. Lecoix did set up some well thought out plans, recruited some useful people. It may still work."

"Perhaps. Do we have any other options?"

"It will take five days for us to move people in and have them working on this."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes. Genom has denied and cost us a large number of our assets. We may have to turn to the other sources. Are you certain he is worth the time or trouble?"

"Cassandra," Michelle said, a hard edge suddenly in her voice.

"Yes Mistress?" Cassandra said, suddenly looking tense and a little afraid.

"Do not question my orders in any way, ever again. It is not for you to do so."

"Yes Mistress, I'm sorry."

"As you should be," she said, shifting forward, into the light. Her revealed face was handsome, with a sharp quality to it. She had dark brown eyes and straight, slightly faded red hair, worn long except in front where it was cut sharply at eyebrow level. "Do everything you can to ensure that Dr. Andrews and the information he carries ends up with us."

"Yes Mistress," Cassandra said, her head bowed.

"Now go."

Cassandra turned and left.

The other woman shifted back, once again hidden in the shadow.

* * *

**Saturday March 11th, 12:10am, MegaTokyo, Japan**

Priss fumbled with the key, her fingers still a little stiff. She unlocked the door, pulled it open and entered the house, closing the door behind her. She locked the door, then turned and sat down on the hardwood floor, leaving her feet in the genkan. She slid her feet from the boots, then placed them together, neatly, on the floor.

She got to her feet and walked towards the kitchen, being as quiet as possible. While she had learned that the Romanova family were prone to keep odd hours, there seemed to be a rule of sorts that demanded quiet after a certain time.

Priss found Ali in the living room, a computer on the kotatsu, as well as several pieces of paper.

"Good evening," Ali said, looking up from the computer.

Priss nodded. "Late night?"

"Not originally, but suddenly the clinic needed me to get all my records in order."

"Think that you are being sued for malpractice?" Priss asked as she entered the kitchen.

Ali smiled slightly. "No. But the clinic is being inspected."

Priss opened the refrigerator and removed a bottle of water. "Want anything?" she called to Ali.

"Could you pour me a cup of coffee?"

"Right," Priss said. She filled a mug up with coffee from the machine, then carried it into the living room. "Here," she said, placing the cup on the low table.

"Thanks," Ali said, looking over at Priss. She saw the blood spotted handkerchief tied around her left hand. "What's this?" she asked, reaching out towards Priss' hand.

Priss drew her hand back a little. "Nothing." She took a drink from the bottle of water.

"I'd like to look at it."

"It's really nothing," Priss told her, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"As a doctor I tend to have a problem with blood leaking from a body. As part owner of this house, and the person who picked out all the towels and sheets, I have an aversion to excessive blood stains."

Priss smiled at that. "When you put it that way." She unwrapped the handkerchief from her hand, tearing away some of the clotted blood in the processes. She held it towards Ali.

Ali got to her feet and took Priss' hand gently between hers. "Any pain?"

"A little, and the fingers are a somewhat stiff, but that will go away by tomorrow."

"I take it this is not the first time you abused your fists."

"What can I say?"

"What is this from?" Ali asked, indicating the cut on the index finger.

"A tooth I think."

"Not yours I take it."

"No."

"You should have that closed. It will heal faster, and without a scar."

"Scars don't bother me," Priss said, taking her hand from Ali.

"Well, they bother me. Go into the kitchen and wash your hands up. I'll be back in a moment," she said it all in a no nonsense manner. She did not even give Priss a chance to object, just turned and walked away.

Priss was not sure what to do, she did not like being told what to do, especially like that, but she could not bring herself to object to what was kindness. Shaking her head she decided she would be glad when she had moved out and there was no one to object to her bleeding all over the place.

She walked into the kitchen, removing her jacket as she went. She rolled up her blouse sleeves then washed her hands in the sink, opening a number of the other, smaller cuts on her hands. The water running down the drain was soon tinged with red.

Ali came in carrying what looked like a toolbox. She placed it on the table, opened it up, and then pulled out a cloth that she lay across the table surface. "Okay, let's see them."

"Now I remember why I avoid hospitals," Priss said. She took a seat at the table and placed her still wet hands on the cloth.

"A good thing you are here then," Ali said, opening the trays and removing an ultrasound scanner. "I want to see just what kind of hard tissue damage we might have."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Priss asked. "I was the one punching."

"You caused it, I have to heal it," she told Priss as she ran the scanning wand over Priss' left hand. "Nothing alarming here." She switched to the right hand. A look of concern passed over her face and she moved the wand to Priss' wrist and then up her arm. "There's a lot of little microfractures here. They look a few months old."

"I probably fell off my bike," Priss said offhandedly.

"Well there is nothing serious here," Ali said, putting the wand aside. "Mind you, I would not mind getting you looked over completely and properly deal with all your injuries. I suspect I'd have to tie you down to a bed for a month to make sure everything healed properly, however."

"I'm not sure I would like being tied to a bed."

"I suppose it does have some dangerous connotations," Ali said, removing items from her medical kit as she said that. "We'll start with the deep cut, glue it closed." She placed a tube on the table.

"Glue?"

"Surgical glue. Easier than using sutures." Ali pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "I'll close it up, and I want you to put the glue where I tell you."

"Fine," Priss said as she picked the tube up from the table.

Ali began, pushing the sides of the wounds closed, then having Priss apply the glue where she wanted. It took a few minutes, but when they were finished the cut had been closed, the only evidence of it was some puffiness.

Ali leaned back. "Give a that few days and it will heal fully, without a scar. While you can use the hand for normal actions, don't hit anyone with it, at least two or three days."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good. I might as well close up all the other cuts."

Priss just shrugged her shoulders.

"So what was this fight about?" Ali asked as she took off her gloves.

"Nothing really."

"I find that hard to believe." She began removing the things she would need to treat Priss' hands.

"Well, if I am to believe a friend of mine it was about me wanting to explode."

"Do you think your friend is right?"

"What, are you a psychologist now?"

Ali smiled. "Perhaps a little. You don't like rules much."

"There are a lot of stupid ones out there."

"Like not getting into fights?"

"That's one."

"What exactly are you rebelling against?" Ali asked as she cleaned a small cut then used a drop of the glue to seal it.

Priss said nothing for a time, just watched as Ali tended to her hands. "Things really sucked after the quake."

"So I've heard."

"Buildings went down, fires started, things fell from roofs to crash onto streets, there was flooding, and more stuff. I know people who ran for shelters only to be cut off from them by flame or rubble. A lot of people died."

Ali nodded but said nothing.

"It was weeks before there was any sort of normalcy. I spent those first few weeks in a tent city, an army hospital. Then I was sent to the orphanage. Orphanages now might be nice places, like they were before the quake, but right after it was a different story. There were a lot fewer buildings than before, and living space was very tight.

"The room I spent a year and a half in should have held four people, but they had twelve of us in there. Triple bunk beds. I had a middle one. I remember sitting in the dark corner of that bed, feeling the metal netting above me digging into the top of my head. A lot of the time I just sat there and listened to the people who ran the place going on and on about the rules and how they should not be broken.

"Sometimes they were angry at me, but I certainly was not the only one they felt was not behaving properly and following the rules."

"Who was 'they'?"

"Some of the staff were professional care givers, some were of religious background, some were just people who needed work, or who were trying to help. All of them had a big thing about rules; at least that is how I remember it. I spent a lot of time wondering just what the hell they were thinking.

"We had lost our parents, been terribly hurt, and had our lives turned upside down and they were worried about whether a bed had been made, or if the lights were on past a certain time. It was all so stupid." Priss shook her head. "The truth was they were just as messed up as us, and all the rules helped them feel like they had some control over the situation.

"A year later I was moved to one of the newly built places with a lot more room and better staff. Still, by then I had decided that rules were stupid and went out of my way to break them."

"Sounds like you were angry," Ali said.

Priss laughed. "You could say that."

"Don't you think it is time for you to stop being angry?" Ali said, knowing she was taking a chance.

"You do nice work for a brain surgeon," Priss said, looking down at her hand.

"I did my residency in a busy emergency room."

"You get down into Tokyo after the quake?"

"No, not until a year after actually."

"Things were busy in Sendai I guess. You got a bit of a shake up there as well."

"Not as bad as here. But yes, I was busy. Even after the casualties from Sendai had been dealt with I still had patients from all over the Kanto region."

For a time neither said anything, Ali continued to treat the many small cuts on Priss' hands. She finished up and put the tube aside. "The surgical glue has both an antibiotic and a minor painkiller in it."

Priss nodded. "I was wondering why they stopped hurting. Can I play guitar?"

"Well, while some people might disagree, I think you can."

It took Priss a moment to realise that Ali had just made a joke. She smiled. "Seriously."

"As I said, avoid punching people for a few days and everything will be fine."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"You're right, I should stop being mad."

"So why don't you?"

"I have, to an extent." Priss got to her feet. "But it is never easy." She picked up the bottle of water. "Goodnight," she said.

"Good night, sleep well," Ali said.

* * *

**Saturday March 11th, 6:43pm**

The setting sun came through the window, casting long shadows throughout the restaurant. The staff had not yet turned the ceiling fixtures on. There were patches of shadow all about. The customers were just beginning to notice it. Not so much that they knew what the problem was, but many of them were looking about, as if trying to understand what was wrong.

Sylia sipped at her white wine, noting the way those around her were acting. Even her dinner companion, Justin Bestar, seemed a little put off by the increasing shadow.

"What do you think about the guest list?" Justin asked her, picking up his glass and taking a drink of the wine.

"An interesting mix. You certainly managed to convince a large number of important people to attend."

"Your father was well respected," he told Sylia.

Sylia nodded. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be. This is proving to be much more work that I had thought. Every day something new comes up."

"Like what?"

"New guests, people who demand to be included, Genom wanting to talk about security, and more." He smiled. "It will be worth it though."

"I'm glad you are willing to do this," Sylia said, surprising herself a little. "I think my father would have appreciated it."

"I hope so."

For a time they sat in silence, a not quite comfortable lull in the conversation. The staff brought the lights up slowly, chasing away the shadows. Few people noticed, but they all seemed to relax with the increased light.

"So, have you decided what you are going to say?" Justin asked her.

"No."

He nodded. "I guess I can't complain."

"Is it that important?"

For a moment he said nothing. He picked up his glass and finished off the wine. As he placed the empty glass down he looked at Sylia. "I don't want this to become a reason to attack Genom, or anyone else who might be using boomers in a way your father would not have approved of. This is a night to honour him, not to shout accusations." While his voice had started off even enough, it had risen in volume and passion as he finished. A few people close by looked towards the table. Justin did not notice them.

"I do not plan to do that." Sylia thought about it for a moment. "Why would you think that I might?"

"Not just you, but others. When you said you would not tell me what you were going to say, well, I assumed the worst."

"I'm sure that you will not have any problems with what I say."

"Then why not tell me in advance?"

Sylia picked up her wineglass and twisted the stem between her fingers, watching as the wine within the bell of the glass swirled about. "The truth is that I do not know exactly what I am going to say at this point."

"I see."

"I hope you can understand."

Justin nodded. "I guess I should be happy that you are going to be there and talk. I don't think it would be the same without you."

"You are overestimating my importance, I think," Sylia said, then she took a drink of her wine.

"No, not really. Katsuhito's daughter gives us a link to him. And you look like you will be following in your father's footsteps soon. Your article was brilliant."

Sylia was not sure what to say to that. It seemed a bit much, but she could tell that Justin was sincere. "Thank you for you kind words."

He nodded.

Not long afterwards Justin had to excuse himself. He still had a lot of work to take care of. After he had left Sylia ordered a cup of coffee. Once it arrived she took her NAVI from her purse and checked the progress on the search for Andrews-hakase.

* * *

Yoshiro pulled the blanket around his shoulders, shivering slightly. The old electric heater that had kept the chill away had broken down earlier. From the looks of things the apartment's previous occupant had been accomplished at repairing it. For all of Yoshiro's knowledge, repairing the simple heater was beyond him.

There was a beat up kerosene heater in the apartment that still worked, but he could only run it so long before chancing carbon monoxide poisoning, and he had a limited amount of kerosene. So he pulled the blanket about him to keep warm and worked at the computer, which produced some heat at least.

His research was going slow, even a little slower than he had expected. The information he needed was well protected in almost all cases, so he had to hack the systems first. It meant a lot of work, often to find out in the end that he had found nothing of any value, to him at least.

At least he still was safe. While it was obvious he was being searched for, no one had come close to him yet. He felt confident he would have the time he needed to find a new safe haven. All he had to do was survive the stay in the apartment.

He got to his feet and walked to the part of the apartment that served as the kitchen. He stopped at the refrigerator and opened the door. It, unlike many of the appliances, was not old. It was almost new, with an emergency battery pack on it. It was obvious why. Inside were a number of drugs that had to be kept refrigerated. He pushed aside several vials of Valine Beta-an anti-AIDS medication-and grabbed a package of gyoza.

The gyoza went into the microwave, another appliance that looked as if it had seen too much use. It worked though. As the gyoza warmed in the oven, he poured himself a cup of coffee. It was bitter and stale, but he did not feel like making a fresh pot. Instead he added several packages of sugar and stirred it in.

He leaned against the counter and drank the sweet, thick coffee. All he needed was enough time and he would be safe.

* * *

**Sunday March 12th, 10:36pm**

Linna sat on one of the benches in the dressing room. Beside her were the mask and the sword she had been using. It was time to return them to the costumer for the last time. She smiled, realising she would miss the hot mask. Well, soon they would begin practising for the next performance, and Linna would get a new role.

"Linna-san," Mako called out. "Free tonight?"

"Yes. Why?" Linna looked over at Mako.

"Wrap party tonight."

"Oh. That sounds fun."

"I just want to be sure you don't have another date with Okami-ojisan," she said, smiling.

"Not tonight." Linna returned the smile. "I guess he realised that there would be a wrap party."

"Hurry up and shower then."

Linna nodded and stood. She began to peel off the costume, pulling the cold, sweaty garment from her skin. Maybe she would not miss the costume so much after all. She certainly would not miss the smell of excessive perspiration that the costume held in.

Soon she was in the shower room, letting the hot spray wash the sweat from her body. After washing her hair she simply stood in the spray for a minute, enjoying the warmth. Clean, she left the shower, grabbing one of the towels from a shelf just out side of the shower room.

By the time she was back at her locker she was mostly dry, except for her hair which was still damp. She wrapped a towel around her hair, then opened her locker and began to get dressed.

"Hurry up Linna-san," Mako said. She was already dressed.

"I still have to take my costume to the costumer," Linna told her. "Where is the party."

"Second floor of the 'Akanbo Club'. Do you know it?"

"I've seen it."

"I'll meet you there then," Mako said, turning to leave the locker room.

Linna finished dressing, then combed out her slightly damp hair. She grabbed her headband and slid it on, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Grabbing up her costume she headed out of the locker room, making her way to the costume room where she handed everything over. And that was everything taken care of for the performance. It was over for her now.

That made Linna a little sad, then she shook her head and smiled. There was going to be another soon enough, and Kikuchi-sensei was going to kill them all getting them ready for it. She sped up her walk, wanting to get to the club before the party got into full swing. Kikuchi was giving the dancers three days off starting the next day, and everyone was going to take advantage of it.

* * *

Priss tossed the bouncer in front of Club 666 five thousand yen. He did not ask for it, and Priss was fairly certain she could get away without paying it, but she paid the cover anyway. When she entered the club she was seized by the sensation that nothing had changed since she had left the last time. Perhaps nothing had.

As she walked through the club, towards where Ritsuko told her she would be waiting, she saw Genji and his brother sitting at a table. Neither looked like they had found a doctor with Ali's skill to fix them up. Obvious bandages covered them, and Maike's arm was in a sling. They did not seem to want to continue the fight, looking away from her when she looked over at them.

Ritsuko was dressed much as she had been before, this time the cocktail dress she wore was dark blue, and her fishnet stockings were black, ripped in a few places.

"Oi, Priss-san," she called out as Priss approached.

"Ritsuko-san," Priss said. She pulled a seat away from the table and sat down.

"Going to get into another fight?"

"Depends who provokes me," Priss told her, smiling.

"Probably no one willing to play that game tonight. Got my money?"

"Don't you want to do this in private?"

"This is just an exchange, it doesn't matter."

Priss reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope. It contained another half million yen, given to her by Sylia. She placed it on the table.

Ritsuko reached over to her coat and looked through it. A moment later she produced an envelope. She placed it beside the other.

Priss reached out and took the later. She slid it into her jacket.

Ritsuko picked up the envelope Priss had placed on the table. She held it in her cybernetic arm. A nod and one of the club employees was at her side. She gave him the envelope. He bowed then moved off.

"Where's that going?" Priss asked.

"Club safe, that which isn't used to pay my bar bill." She smiled at Priss.

"I should probably be going now."

"What's your rush? It's not like anyone on that list is going anywhere."

Priss smiled. "True."

"And do you really want to go back to the real world?"

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Why not leave here? You could survive outside, no matter what you might say to the contrary."

"I think you are overestimating me," Ritsuko told her.

"I don't think so."

"I can't leave this place, at least not until the party is over. That would be rude."

Priss nodded. "It looks like it is just settling in though."

"As long as they got alcohol I'm here."

"Let me see them," Priss said.

"Why play this game Priss-san?"

"Why not. Please."

Ritsuko reached up with her cybernetic arm, grasping her sunglasses. "This is pointless," she told Priss, then removed her sunglasses.

She had no eyes, at least in the real sense. Where eyes should have been were two, grey disks. In each disk was a slot of sorts, running almost the complete diameter of each disk. As Priss watched the disks rotated in their outer housings, both slots taking on the same orientation, parallel to the ground. It was a little disturbing.

Priss looked at the fine web of scars around the eyes; the lack of eyelids and the eyelashes that would have went with them. Just Ritsuko's delicately arched eyebrows above them. "I'm sorry," Priss said after a moment.

"Why? You had nothing to do with it."

"I'm not so sure."

Ritsuko smiled. "Hey, sometimes you just got to change the rules when things get too hard. When you've seen just one too many horrible things. Oedipus had it right."

"Why those?"

Ritsuko reached up and tapped one of the disks with a cybernetic finger. There was a sound of metal on metal. "Hey, real eyes come out too easily."

Priss just shook her head.

Ritsuko put her glasses back on, hiding the cyber eyes. She stood, reaching out to Priss with her real hand. "Come on."

"Where?"

"Onto the dance floor. Let's pretend we're sixteen again and none of it has happened yet."

Priss remained sitting for a moment, then reached out and took Ritsuko's hand. She let the other woman pull her to her feet and then lead her out onto the dance floor.

She had noticed that Ritsuko had said to pretend that it had not happened yet, not to pretend that it was not going to happen.

* * *

**Monday March 13th, 2:15am**

Linna stumbled and almost fell as she stepped up from the genkan into her apartment. She wasn't so much drunk as exhausted, though she was a little tipsy as well. She had left her car where she had parked it and taken a taxi home instead. She would worry about retrieving her car in the morning; at that point she just wanted to sleep.

She checked to make sure that she had no messages from Sylia, then she dropped down onto her couch. A good night's sleep and a day spent just lying around would be a nice change. Of course it was quite possible that something would come up with the Knight Sabers, but she'd take that chance.

She dozed for a time, not quite asleep, not really awake. She was thinking and dreaming about her dancing and how good it made her feel. It was like she had finally found what she had been looking for.

At a little after 4am Linna was feeling a little more alert. The alcohol had worn off, mostly, and the couch was no longer as comfortable as it had been. She straightened and looked around the dark apartment. She reached forward and grabbed her purse, pulling it onto her lap. She removed her NAVI and flipped it open.

The number she wanted was in her directory. Just before she pressed the dial button she stopped to consider what time it would be there. A little after eleven in the morning she thought. She pressed the dial button.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up. The screen on Linna's NAVI lit up, displaying Reika's face.

"Hello," Reika said, then she said, "Linna."

"Ohayo Reika-san," Linna said. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, not at all. I'm just getting a little work done."

"Good. I think we need to talk."

"I've been waiting for this call," Reika smiled. "I can arrange for a plane to come and pick you up if you want. It will be easier than a commercial airline."

"I'm not taking the job," Linna said, a little abruptly.

"Of course we'll have to make sure you have the..." Reika looked at Linna. "Pardon?"

"I can't accept this job offer. I'm sorry."

Reika looked as if she did not know what to say. "Why? I mean, I thought that this would be what you wanted."

"It is, but not now. I still have a lot to learn, and I can't learn it working for you. I am sorry, I know this was never really about my dancing skills."

"Of course it was. I needed someone to handle choreography."

"You can hire someone with a lot more experience than me easily enough. You wanted me there to be a friend, and I can understand that, but I'm sorry, it won't be good for me to leave Japan right now."

Reika said nothing for several seconds. "I need a friend, someone I can talk to." There was a plaintive quality to her tone.

"I know, and this is hard for me, but you have friends already. You have Kou, and everyone else who cares about you. You just have to give them a chance."

"It's not that easy. They are my protectors first and foremost. It makes it hard for them to be my friends."

"You're just going to have to change that."

Reika looked at Linna, staring at her screen. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Reika nodded. "You have to do what is best for you. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short, like I said, I have work to take care of."

"I understand," Linna said.

"Goodbye Linna."

"Goodbye Reika-san."

Reika cut the connection and Linna's NAVI screen went blank. She sighed. That had been hard. Of course it was no where near as hard as it would be if she had to say goodbye to the Knight Sabers.

She leaned back in her couch, letting her head roll back so she was looking at the ceiling. She hoped she would not have to say that goodbye.

* * *

Domino sat in her office, looking over the latest reports she had been sent by Akiko and Rebecca. Akiko had been on the ground, searching places within the city, while Rebecca was searching through the computer net. Neither had found anything solid yet, but both had turned up some useful leads.

She also had a few organisations under quiet observation. Lecoix had provided information about the measures that he had taken in respect to Andrews-hakase. He had several groups looking for Andrews, including the Knight Sabers. It was a mistake on her part in not thinking to put them on retainer herself.

And Lecoix had added a clever twist to it all. If one of the groups found Andrews they were to report back to his superiors-whoever they wereas opposed to him, and let them know what was about to happen. Whoever had run Terrence-Domino suspected it might be Miss Danielsonwould then get all the groups moving to confuse any watchers, like Domino.

She had to give Lecoix credit, he had been a very good operative.

She put the printouts aside and leaned back in her chair. She had not slept since Andrews had escaped. While she could go much longer than any human without sleeping, she did need rest periods or she would suffer. Hopefully things would work out in the next few days before exhaustion started to take its toll.

She got up from her chair and walked towards her office door. She exited her office, and then the office suite, stepping out into the quiet corridors of the executive level. While there was never a time when the Tower was empty, or when work was not going on, it did get quiet in the hours before dawn.

Not far from her office was the executive lounge. Staffed twenty four hours a day, though after midnight until seven in the morning that staff was just one man who kept the coffee and tea fresh and who could prepare some basic dishes. He greeted Domino when she entered. "Good morning Odotte-sama."

"Good morning Ichinosei-san. I would like some coffee."

He quickly poured a cup of coffee as Domino took a seat. He placed the cup in a saucer, then put both on the bar in front of her. She picked up the cup and took a drink. She smiled slightly at the taste.

Coffee was another thing she did not really need, certainly not the caffeine, but drinking it helped maintain an illusion. She placed the china cup on the saucer and looked over at Kentaro Ichinosei.

He was an older man, mid fifties she guessed. She knew a little about him, like she knew a little about everyone who worked on the executive levels. He had lost his family in the quake, like many others. She supposed that he had fallen into depression over it, but she was not sure. Perhaps she would look over his file and see for sure.

Why he had ended up tending the executive lounge in the late evening and early morning she did not know, but he seemed happy enough. There was probably a lesson in that, but it was not one that Domino wanted to learn.

She picked up her cup, leaving the saucer on the bar, and got to her feet. She wandered around the lounge, looking about. There were a lot of pictures on the walls, of various people and places. She found one of Mason standing beside Quincy at the dedication of the Tower's site. Domino remembered that day, how it had been hot, and the smog had been particularly bad. She, well Mason actually, had been surprised that Quincy acted as if the bad air did not bother him at all.

She could remember that Mason had looked at the huge site where the Tower was to be erected and thought that one day it would be his. She wondered if he had been feeling desire or fear at that moment?

She passed by the picture and stopped by the grand piano that sat in the corner of the room. A gift from someone or another to Genom, if she remembered correctlylikely she did. It did not see much use. Few of the executives had the talent, and if they did, then they lacked the time. When receptions or parties were held in the lounge it was not uncommon for someone to be hired to play the instrument.

Domino thought about the other executives, her other problem. They had sensed that she was not held in the same place of respect as she had been. They were circling, looking for weakness. It was the way things were done in the Tower.

Yoshiki Yaegashi, a recently promoted player to the upper executive level had recently gone after her. He had tried to slide in and take a company that Domino was working on. She had stopped him of course, slapping him down hard in the process. She had also finished the take over, resorting to some rather dirty tactics she normally would have avoided.

She did not expect Yoshiki would try anything like that again. She was not even sure he would be a member off the upper executive in a month's time. She also was fairly certain the other executives would not try anything, for a little while at least. With a little luck everything would be resolved in her favour by that time and her position would once again be secure.

Domino moved away from the piano and walked over to a glass case near the doorway. Within the case was a scale model of MegaTokyo. A gift from the city for all Genom had done to rebuild it.

It was quite the model. While the scale was too small to be able to make out too much, it was very detailed. With a magnifying glass it was possible to spot the tiny cars that had been put on the streets. Only the largest of buildings were easily visible, which of course included the Tower.

Domino looked the model over. "Where are you Andrews?" she asked softly.

* * *

"So, do we know where he is?" Nene asked as she took a seat on the couch.

"Not yet, but we have some places to look," Sylia told her.

"So how do you want to look?" Priss asked. "Should we go down there and start looking around?"

"I do not think that is the way to go. I do not wish to enter the area until we've confirmed his location, if he is even there."

"I could get some people to do the looking, actually knock on the doors and that kind of stuff."

"As could I," Sylia told her. "But I would like to avoid that. It might send him running again, or give something away."

"We could use Neko," Nene said.

On hearing its name the cat raised it head from the bag Nene had brought with her. It let out a meow.

"Did you get a cat?" Linna asked, who had until that point not been paying much attention to the conversation. She was still a little tired. "So cute."

"In a way," Nene said, reaching down to gently scratch Neko between its ears. "It's a boomer."

"That's a boomer?" Priss asked.

"A cat boomer."

"You're kidding?"

"She is quite serious," Sylia said. "And the idea has merit."

Nene smiled. "Who is going to notice a cat wandering around District 24?"

"Anyone who tried to eat it?" Priss suggested.

"That's just cruel!" Nene said.

"Just a fact."

"I doubt that would be a problem," Sylia said.

"How can the cat help us?" Linna asked.

"It can send us back transmissions of what it sees. It can go where we need it to, and let us see what is there."

"It can do that?" Priss asked.

"And a little more," Nene told her. "I think we'll bounce the signal off the FJ3, it's stationary, so I can keep the signal clean, and private."

"That might be getting a little excessive," Sylia told her.

"I don't think so. From what I know about District 24 it is a bit of a mess, transmission wise. I certainly won't be the only person bouncing signals off that satellite, so no one should notice. Even if Neko gets into a real bad area it can power a signal through." She picked the cat up and put it on her lap. "Right Neko?"

The cat let out a meow, and then, suddenly, a set of sensor booms rose from under its fur on either side of its shoulders, looking like wings. The booms expanded out, increasing their surface area to appear even more like wings.

Priss and Linna stared at the cat sitting on Nene's lap. Neither had any idea of what to make of Nene's pet. Nene was smiling broadly. Sylia shook her head.

"Neko can generate a powerful jamming field if necessary, and can punch through them as well, if necessary. Neko is perfect for this."

"Stop showing off," Linna told her.

"Maybe we should replace Nene with the cat," Priss suggested.

The cat hissed at Priss.

"What was that about?" Priss demanded.

"Neko likes me," Nene told her.

"I think that Nene's plan has merit," Sylia said. "We'll set up in Raven's garage and send the cat into District 24 to see if we can find Andrews-hakase."

"And if we do?" Priss asked.

"We go in and get him."

* * *

The scenes presented on the monitor were often confusing, flashing by too quickly for either Nene or Priss to be sure of what they were seeing. The view was from the cat's eyes as it ran across the roofs and leapt the gaps between buildings, moving so very fast.

"Don't you think that you might be attracting attention?" Priss asked.

"It's keeping to the shadows," Nene told her.

"I'm not sure if that will make a difference."

"Fine," Nene said, reaching over to toggle the communication system. "Neko, cut your speed a little."

The views being presented on the monitor became a little more orderly as the cat began moving at a more sedate pace.

"Which one is next?" Priss asked.

"This one," Nene said, placing her finger on the list.

Priss looked over Nene's shoulder. "A writer, suffering from severe agoraphobia and ochlophobia." Priss read. "Why is someone like that living in District 24? Why not just some place in MegaTokyo?"

"I don't know," Nene said. "Looks like it is getting close."

"What's ochlophobia anyway?" Priss asked.

Nene turned to her computer and tapped in an inquiry. "Fear of crowds," Nene read.

They watched as the cat moved towards a lighted window, leaping onto what had probably been a fire escape at one point and was now just twisted metal. It leapt from there to a nearby windowsill.

"That's it," Nene said.

"Can we get a look inside?"

"Neko-chan, look inside if you can," she told the cat.

The cat moved along the windowsill, then climbed up the wall, moving to the top of the window. There it found a gap through which it could look.

The room beyond was small, and well kept. Sitting at a computer was a thin woman. The cat zoomed in on the screen without being asked. Nene and Priss could she what was writing. It looked like a bad romance novel.

"Looks fine," Nene said.

"Yeah, let's move on."

The next place they checked out was not what they were looking for, but the place after that looked promising at first. Nene had the cat break in so they could get a better look around the apartment.

At a still active computer they found the body of a man who had obviously been dead several days.

"Glad I'm not in there. The smell would probably gag you."

"That's horrible," Nene said, looking at the image of the dead man.

"You have an object lesson Nene-chan."

"What?"

"Look what can happen to hackers. Dying alone like that because the only people you knew were on the other end of a computer."

"Thank you," Nene said crossly. "Neko-chan, get out of there."

"I wouldn't worry about it though. It is not as if your mama would let that happen," Priss said the last teasingly.

Nene smiled. "You are probably right. What do you think of her?"

"Pardon?"

"Well, you have been talking to her a lot. I'm just curious."

"I don't know." Priss shrugged her shoulders. "She's a hard woman to ignore, and she actually cares about people. It's hard not to like her. Of course it is hard not to just tell her to shut up and mind her own business."

"You think so too?"

Priss smiled. "I'm a little jealous of you."

Nene was a little surprised by that statement, but realised she should not be. Priss, Linna, Sylia, they had all lost their parents. Nene wondered what it sounded like to them when she complained about hers. "She likes you as well."

"Probably why she nags me so much, right?"

Nene smiled and nodded.

"Where to next?" Priss asked her.

"Another hiding hacker," Nene told her.

"Let's hope he's more lively that the last."

Nene gave Priss a hard look.

* * *

Three more places after the dead man's and Priss was beginning to get a little tired of it all. Nene wasn't so bothered, but even she was beginning to question whether they would turn anything up. It was a long shot after all.

"Look at this," Nene said.

"What?"

"Security bars on the windows."

"Do they look new?" Priss asked hopefully.

"No."

"I guess that was too much to hope for."

"I don't think he'd upgrade the security as soon as he showed up."

"I guess not."

"Neko-chan, get a look inside."

That turned out to be much harder than any of them had been suspected. All the windows were covered over so it was impossible to see inside. The cat climbed up onto the roof and after a little searching found a way into the roof. From there is pulled itself through the small space, making its way towards the area of the building where the apartment they were interested in was.

In the end they had to settle for a small hole in one of the walls.

"You can't see much," Priss said.

"It's enough," Nene told her. "Neko-chan, use the fibre optic cable."

The cat shifted about, twisting itself around so that the cable could slide into the gap.

It was an odd way to look at things, but they had a good view of the apartment, and its occupant.

"That looks like him," Priss said.

Nene nodded. "Sylia-san," she called out.

* * *

**Monday, March 13, 7:36am, Toronto, Canada**

Cassandra looked at the screen as the phone rang for the second time. Secure line, bounced off some satellites, no visual feedof course. It would be difficult to trace, though not impossible. She knew it came from MegaTokyo, and it was from the Knight Sabers. The number was the one Terrence had assigned themand that Genom had put a tag on.

She picked up the phone on the third ring and listened as the person on the other end gave the proper codes.

"Have you found the package yet?" she asked. She listened to the reply. "I see. Wait one hour before making your move. Will there be any problems with that?" She listened again. "Good. I'm sending the co-ordinates for the pick up point. How long do you think it will take to get there?" The person on the other end made Cassandra wait as the information just sent was decrypted. Cassandra nodded when she was told the expected time frame. "The pick up vehicle will be waiting. Final payment will be transferred as soon as we have him."

The other person hung up, leaving Cassandra listening to the dial tone. The people trying to trace the call were getting close. For a moment she thought she would let them, almost wanting it all to end. Only for a moment though. She reached out and cut the connection.

She leaned back, sighing loudly. She shook her head; there were still things for her to do. She had to contact the other groups Terrence had hired and get them moving. It might throw Genom off their game.

Of course it might not.

* * *

**Monday March 13th, 10:03pm, MegaTokyo**

Sylia looked over a map of District 24, considering her options. She would have liked to grab Andrews-hakase in a quiet manner, but she was not sure if that was an option. Once contact was made, anything could happen, and if anything happened, she wanted the hardsuits close by.

Using the hardsuits in 24 was bound to attract attention, so things would have to be done very quickly. She could gain the quickest evacuation by using the Sky Carrier, but that could be dangerous. It was not that difficult to shoot an aircraft down, no matter how much ECM it had.

No, it would be better to stay on the ground; there was more cover available. That could complicate things, but Sylia felt they could deal with it.

"What's the plan?" Priss asked, walking into the small office.

"Is everyone ready?" Sylia asked her.

"Give the word and we'll be on the streets in a minute. You sure you want Mackie-kun on this?"

"We may need the firepower of his motoroid, and he will do a good job taking care of Andrews-hakase once we have him."

"If you say so," Priss said, still not sure of him being on the team. "So, what is the plan?"

"We go in fast, grab him, and get out."

"Works."

* * *

In District 24 one might see anything. It took a lot to get a rise of real interest from the inhabitants. An armoured figure on a motorcycle, zipping along the streets at over one hundred kilometres an hour, was enough.

And it was not just one. Throughout the district five motorcycles were roaring along the streets, garnering a lot of attention. That was how Sylia had wanted it. Since there was no way to do it quietly, she was going to make it loud and confusing.

Priss lay low on her bike, leaning hard to avoid hitting a slow moving car. She appreciated Sylia's plan. She had not been able to drive so recklessly in several years. Just like old times, before all the bad things happened.

She could hear shouts around her, some of surprise, but others of excitement. Whether they recognised the Knight Sabers or not, people knew when something exciting was happening. Perhaps not the most exciting things in their lives, but entertaining nonetheless.

She squeezed the brake lever and turned the wheel, cutting around a corner, sliding neatly between two other vehicles. Priss smiled. It had been too long.

"Okay, let's do it," she said, informing the Typhoon II that it was time to get to work. She shifted about, then pushed herself from the bike, activating her thrusters a moment later. She climbed into the air as the Typhoon II underwent its transformation. Once completed Priss dropped down, latching onto the motoslave's back as it took to the air.

The Typhoon II climbed high into the air, lost in the glare from all the lights from below. Priss held onto it for several seconds as it brought her close to the target. Then she leapt free, the Typhoon II continuing on to confuse any possible watchers.

She was going to take the quickest route into the apartment that would not get the target killed. There was a boarded over window that led into the hallway on the fourth floor. Priss crashed through the boards over the window, landing on the cement floor.

Priss looked around quickly then made right for the apartment's door. From what Neko's camera had shown them the door was booby trapped, but it was a fairly simple trap-a shotgun rigged at chest level. While Priss was fairly certain her armour could take the blast, Sylia had told her to go in low.

So Priss crashed through the lower part of the door, the shotgun discharging above her head. She pushed herself up and onto her feet, looking about. She saw Yoshiro, standing by the computer. He looked terrified.

She ignored him for a moment and looked about the apartment, just to be sure that they were alone. She activated her transmitter. "One, this is two, target reached, preparing for phase 2. Five, move to rendezvous location. Two out."

Priss turned back towards Yoshiro. He had pulled open a desk drawer and was rifling through it. Priss moved up close to him and grabbed his wrist with her use hand, stopping him from bringing a large revolver to bear. "I'm here to get you out of here Andrews," she said, her voice altered by electronic distortion. "You are going to be fine." She reached over with her power hand and grasped the revolver, taking it from him. "Let's go," she said, tossing the weapon aside.

Yoshiro could not stop the armoured figurehe knew that the person was a Knight Saberfrom pulling him towards the door. He was not sure who had hired them. It might have even been Genom. Still, that he had not been killed right out bode well for his future. "Wait a moment," he said. "I need my briefcase. It contains important information."

Priss had just swept the shotgun and its stand out of the way. She turned back to look at Yoshiro, then looked over to where she had seen the briefcase earlier. It was beside what she was certain was a body bag. The previous occupant of the apartment, Priss guessed.

"Get it," Priss said, releasing her hold on him. She watched him carefully, just to be sure he did not try to run, or anything else. He picked up the briefcase and returned to her side.

Priss grabbed him again and pulled him from the apartment. She pushed him forward towards the broken window, then swung him up into her arms. He let out a surprised gasp as he gripped his briefcase tight to his chest.

She kicked the rest of the boards out of the way, then used her body to shield Yoshiro as she leapt out into the air. As soon as she was clear she activated her thrusters and rocketed up into the sky. She was not sure, but she thought the man in her arms might have screamed.

Cutting the thrusters, she continued up to the apex of her flight, then began dropping. She let the suit's computer handle the breaking thrust that landed her softly on the roof of a nearby building. She made another jump and landed on a roof one hundred meters from the first a few seconds later.

Two more jumps put her under an overhang on a roof some distance from where she had started. "Okay five, where are you?" Priss transmitted.

"Almost there," Mackie's voice sounded in her ears. A few seconds later Mackie and his heavy motoslave landed not far from Priss. She was not sure, but Priss thought that the roof might have shifted slightly.

Mackie took a large bundle from his motoslave and walked towards Yoshiro. "Andrews-hakase, remove your outer clothing."

"What?" Yoshiro was taken aback.

Mackie did something to the bundle and it seemed to fall open, becoming something looked like a hardsuit. "You have to in order to wear this," Mackie explained.

Yoshiro did nothing for a moment, and then he placed the briefcase down and began pulling his shirt off, popping the buttons in the process.

Priss turned away and looked about. "A2, report," she said.

"No sign of threats at this moment," the Typhoon II told her.

"Hold position and get ready to move."

"Understood."

Priss turned back to Yoshiro. He was beginning to remove his pants. Mackie was setting up the protector suit so that the man could step into it. While similar to a hardsuit on the outside, it was actually just a suit of armour. Sylia had designed it for just the sort of circumstances they were currently working under. It provided a lot of protection, and kept the wearer from being able to run away at any great speed.

Once Yoshiro had his pants off Mackie helped him into the suit, helping him pull the heavy armour up, and around him. Not a long time afterwards he was completely encased in the suit.

"Let's go," Priss called out, then shifted to a different frequency. "A2, move into position. We're coming down."

She did not wait from the reply, just leapt from the building to the alley below. The heavy motoslave moved and scooped up Yoshiro, and followed after Mackie, who was following after Priss.

A few seconds later all of them were in the alley, the heavy motoslave was shifting back into its cycle form, and the Typhoon II roared up beside Priss. Mackie got Yoshiro on his bike, making sure he was securely on the seat, then climbed on himself.

"One this is two, we're ready to go. Heading out," Priss transmitted as she swung her leg over the Typhoon II.

"We'll meet you soon," Sylia sent to her.

"Got ya," Priss said as she put the bike into gear.

* * *

_"Until one reaches the age of forty it is better to put off wisdom and discrimination and excel in vitality. According to the person and the rank, though a person has passed the age of forty, if he has no vitality, he will get no response from others"  
_-**Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	25. Satisfaction For A Sin 8

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 3 of 5)  
Satisfaction For a Sin (8 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Domino looked over the reports that had recently come in. Terrence's employers had been clever, scrambling all the people they had working for them at once. It made things a little more difficult. There was the possibility that the entire thing was a false lead. Perhaps they had not found Andrews yet, but wanted Genom to think they had. Or perhaps they had, but none of the groups currently being watched had him.

She doubted both possibilities though. She had made sure to deny them as many resources as possible in Japan. It would be several days, at least, before they could acquire or send in more resources.

It was very likely that one of the groups had Andrews. Now she had to choose which one. While Genom had the resources to easily deal with all the groups, Domino wanted Andrews handled in a special way, and she only had one operative she would trust to do it.

"Akiko-san," Domino said, looking up from the reports.

"Hai," she said.

"Do you have an opinion on this?"

"I find the Knight Sabers' presence in District 24 to be odd."

Domino nodded. "It is a good place to hide, but I'm not sure Andrews-hakase has the courage to face the dangers there. Still, he has occasionally, when threatened, shown courage." Domino paused and looked at the reports again. "I want you to take a team and go after the Knight Sabers. You may handle this as you choose as long as the final results are what I want."

Akiko nodded. "It will be done as you requested." Akiko stood and bowed to Domino and then turned and walked from the room.

Domino watched her go, then reached for her phone. She'd have to scramble teams to deal with the other groups, but she was certain that the Knight Sabers were the ones who had Andrews. They had shown a great facility in finding things out, and Domino-through Masondid have a great respect for Sylia.

* * *

The Knight Sabers were somewhat strung out, though that was as Sylia had wanted it. Bunched together it would be too easy to take them all out at once. Of course they would not be able to come to each other's aid as quickly, but it was a trade off Sylia was willing to accept.

Priss was on point, picking the route out of District 24, and ready to deal with any problems that might get in their way. Sylia was a hundred meters behind her, Nene close to her. About fifty meters further back Mackie rode, with Andrews-hakase. And then, further back still, Linna was rear guard.

Priss leaned hard to the right, cutting into an alley, avoiding a large group of people on the road ahead. The rear tire slid on trash and other loose debris, but Priss turned the front wheel and down shifted for a little more power, pulling the bike back up. "All stations, watch that turn," Priss transmitted as she shifted up, speeding down the alley.

A few seconds later the bike jumped from the end of the alley, dropping down onto a lower road-it had settled in the years since the quake. She hit the rear brake hard, bringing the bike around, ninety degrees to her original course. "All stations, watch the end of the alley. It is a bit tricky."

The road she was on ran straight out of the district. It was usually deserted, probably because it tended to flood.

"That was a bit tricky?" Priss heard Nene's voice. "I almost hit the far wall!"

"I guess I meant a bit tricky for anyone with skill." Priss smiled slightly.

They continued the run along the roadway. As Priss had expected it was flooded in places, sometimes deep enough that the bike was almost immersed up to the top of its wheels. The water presented little trouble for the motoslaves, other than slowing them down a little.

They were nearing the end of the road, the last leg of it climbed out of the 'Big Fault' when Nene transmitted, "Two, this is four, I've got four objects moving in on you. Likely C-Class boomers."

"Got ya. One, should I take them out?"

"Do so," Sylia sent.

"Okay, let's do this," Priss told the Typhoon II.

As they approached the end of the road Priss leapt from the bike, letting it reconfigure so it could provide support.

She landed, sliding to a stop, the Typhoon II standing just behind her.

"Targets approaching," the Typhoon II said.

"You know what to do."

When the first boomer appeared it was blown in half by a short burst from the Typhoon II's hand cannon. The second one had two surgically precise needles rip through its armour and destroy both its primary and secondary processor. The next two managed to get close, opening up with their mouth cannons.

Priss and her motoslave spun about, dodging the incoming blasts. The Typhoon II moved forward, grasping the leg of one of the boomers as it tried to leap over the motoslave. With a good grip on the boomer, the Typhoon II swung it about, slamming it hard into the ground. It then lifted its foot up and then slammed it down against the boomer's chest, crushing it.

Priss fell back in the face of the boomer's attack, waiting for an opening to come. When it did she stepped forward, the knuckle guard swung forward over her left hand, and slammed the guard up, under the boomers right arm. The boomer's arm was ripped right off, sent spinning down into the Big Fault. Priss followed up with a roundhouse kick, the jets in the leg boosting the speed up to lethal levels.

Its left arm and side crushed in, the boomer went over the edge, following after its right arm.

"One, this is two, targets dealt with."

"So I see,' Sylia said, coming to a stop near Priss. "It looks as if they are on to us."

"What do you want to do about it?" Priss asked her.

"Do you know a quiet way to the target area?"

"It won't be an easy ride."

"I'm sure the motoslaves will be able to handle it."

"Okay, let's go." She looked over at the Typhoon II. "I need a ride, snap to it."

The motoslave obediently began to shift to its motorcycle form.

* * *

Akiko smiled slightly as the Knight Sabers went underground. It was a clever move and it made tracking them very difficult. Fortunately Genom had up to date maps of the underground. She called up those maps and looked through them. Considering that the Knight Sabers, if they did not want to get rid of their support mecha, or even their armour, were limited to only certain tunnels, it was not impossible to find the places where they might come out.

If they did abandon their armour and the support mecha it increased the possible places they might come out. While it was a dangerous assumption, she would assume that they would keep their armour. She put watchers on all the exits they could use. Now she would have to wait.

Akiko turned her attention to another monitor where the feed from the four boomers she had sent in was playing. She had heard of the Knight Sabers before, but had never seen them in action. Having seen them she had to admit she was impressed. Of course they had only faced four of the C-Class, and the boomers had used a very obvious attack plan. Against a tougher class of boomer, one that might make use of more advanced tactics, the Knight Sabers might be presented with a more difficult challenge.

While her mission did not involve the destruction of the Knight Sabers she was considering the future.

Akiko leaned forward and tapped in an inquiry, finding out where her teams on the ground were. She then looked back to the map of the tunnels. She was going to make an educated guess as to where the Knight Sabers would come out. It was a risk, but a calculated one.

"Take us to area A9 and hold position there. Relay that to all other aircraft."

"Roger," the helicopter pilot said.

Akiko felt the aircraft bank sharply as it flew off towards area A9. She listened as the pilot relayed her orders to the other pilots. If she were right she would save herself a few minutes, which might give her the time to set things up exactly as she wanted. If she was wrong it would make things more difficult, but hardly impossible.

* * *

The old subway tunnel was partially collapsed in some places making passage difficult. Priss led the way, finding the best way through the maze of tunnels. While it had been some time since she had last ridden them, she had kept up to date on their condition.

The vision enhancements in the hardsuit made it easy to avoid the gaps and up thrusts in the tunnel floor, as well as to duck under low crossbeams. Like most of the tunnels, subway or otherwise, in MegaTokyo, they had been shored up by city engineers in order to stabilise the city's underpinnings. Priss was not too worried about anything collapsing on her.

They had been underground for almost an hourit was just too hard to travel at any decent speed in the tunnelsand were closing on the exit point Priss had chosen.

She pulled her bike to a stop and waited for Sylia to catch up to her.

"We're close to the exit," she told Sylia-not using the suit's com system.

"How long till we reach it?"

"Four, maybe five minutes."

"Where does it come out?"

"Kannai station. Actually Kannai station is gone, but there is a service tunnel that we can use. We'll be getting a little wet."

"Dumps us in the harbour?"

"Nakamura Grand River."

"Not so bad."

"It's been dry enough lately, we should be all right."

"Once you are out, follow the river to the harbour. We'll take it NOE over the water. Stay close to the shore line, southerly direction."

"Hai," Priss said as she gave hit the accelerator and started down the tunnel. Sylia gave her a few seconds of lead, then started after her.

* * *

Akiko was beginning to get worried that she may have made a mistake. It had been more than an hour and still no sign of the Knight Sabers. Perhaps they had ditched the suits and mecha and gone out another way. Or perhaps Domino-san had been wrong and the Knight Sabers were not the ones with Andrews-hakase. They could have just pulled into the tunnels and stopped.

To find out would be difficult, while there were a limited number of exits; there were kilometres upon kilometres of tunnels under the city that could hide them. To search them would require a huge amount of time. She could cut it down with use of drones, but it would still take a few hours to search out all the possibilities.

And while Genom had very good maps of those tunnels, it was always possible that there had been changes. Maybe the Knight Sabers themselves had made a new exit. It would be difficult, but not impossible.

The com system chimed. "This is OP 5 to Sol, we have sighted targets, over."

Akiko let out a sigh of relief as she keyed her com open. "This is Sol to OP 5, send location, over."

"Moving along the Nakamura Grand River, it appears as if they are making for the harbour. Should we follow? Over."

"Negative. Good work. Hold position. Sol out." Akiko cut the connection and changed frequencies. "Control this is Team 1. I have target group M1 on the Nakamura Grand River, can you confirm?"

"Wait one," the tech on the other end told her. Akiko waited for the tech at Control to get back to her. "We have them, currently moving towards the harbour. Transmitting satellite feed to your station, direct, point to point."

"Thanks Control. Team 1 out."

Akiko looked at the monitor as the satellite feed came up. She had a perfect view of the Knight Sabers. Control had given her a very nice feed, using two cameras. One close up and one farther out that allowed her to see the general area they were in.

"Okay," she called to her pilot. "Let's move. We'll stay out over the water, below the horizon. You've got the feed?"

"Hai."

"Good. Parallel their course as best you can. Relay that to the other aircraft."

"Yes ma'am."

Akiko nodded and sat back in her chair. Once the Knight Sabers stopped it would not take long to get the assault team onto them.

* * *

Priss came flying out of the tunnel, watching as the far, cement bank came speeding at her. The Typhoon II reconfigured around her, enfolding her in its protective embrace. A blast of the thrusters turned her sharply away from the wall of cement. Moving her back out into the middle of the river.

Sylia came out next, her Hurricane shifting smoothly into its armour form.

Nene's exit was not quite as graceful, and while she managed to avoid the wall, she did end up dunking her Tempest in the river.

Mackie's exit was rather exciting as Yoshiro went flying off the back off the bike. He screamed very loud. Sylia moved up quickly, catching him. Nene moved up and caught his briefcase.

"My case!" he called out.

"Relax Andrews-hakase. It will be too difficult for you to hold onto. You'll get it back," Sylia told him.

"Don't worry," the Knight Saber holding his briefcase told him. "I'll take care of it."

Yoshiro did not have much choice in the matter and simply nodded. A moment later he was passed back to his previous caretaker, Mackie's motoslave having completed its transformation.

Linna exited a moment later, performing the entire manoeuvre very smoothly.

"Let's move out," Sylia ordered.

Priss moved to take point again, the rest of them falling into their previous 'marching order'.

Nene kept the Tempest a few metres behind Sylia's Hurricane. She decided that she had better make sure that they were not being watched.

The way they were moving made it difficult for anyone to follow or watch them without Nene being able to spot a watcher. There was one way though, but with a little work Nene could check that out as well.

As she had told Priss, there were a number of satellites above MegaTokyo, a very useful way to watch the city. She opened the sensor booms on the Tempestwhich turned out to be a bit of a mistake as it increased her air resistance and changed the way the motoslave handled. It took her a few seconds to get the suit back under control after that.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' Nene thought at herself as she adjusted the sensor booms to cut the wind resistance a little. Once things were set up she began hunting through the night sky for the satellites she wanted.

Once she had them she began intercepting the signals that were being transmitted from the satellites. With the third one she checked Nene found herself looking down at herself. She was not sure where the signal was being transmitted, but she knew someone was watching.

"One, this is four. We're being watched."

"Satellites?" Sylia asked.

"Yes."

"What can you do about it?"

"If I had more time I'd produce a fake feed for them to watch, but all I can do is shut them out."

"Do so."

"Hai. Four out."

* * *

Akiko was taken by surprise when the screen she was watching went to snow. She waited for a moment, just to be sure it was not a momentary glitch. When it became obvious that she was not going to get the picture back she keyed the com system to Control's frequency. "Control, this is Team 1, I've just lost the satellite feed. Tell me what is happening, over."

"Team 1, this is Control, the satellite has been compromised. The frequencies you were using have been shut down. I'm working on getting you a new picture, over."

"Wait one Control," Akiko sent. Obviously the Knight Sabers were not going to let them watch, and she saw no reason to continue to do something that would not work. Best if they thought that they were safe. "Control, I want a look at the coast, and at the ocean up to ten kilometres out. As much as can be scanned at once, over."

"We can do that Team 1, but what are we looking for? Over."

"We'll know it when we see it. Team 1 out."

* * *

"Four, this is one, what's the status on watchers? Over."

"It looks clear. I think we're all right, over."

"Good. Out."

How might Genomand she was fairly certain it was Genomfind the now, she wondered. They had probably given up on satellites, or any other similar spotting mechanism. They might send out chasers, or perhaps there were already some in the area. It was a large area though, and the motoslaves would be hard to spot.

That and speed would probably see them safely to the Evac point.

She checked the map display, taking note of how far they were from the Evac point and the nature of the terrainboth natural and artificialthat she would be dealing with. The Evac point was in a rather poor area, with rocky terrain, and a large number of cement breakers piled up near the road.

Not a good place for a fight, or a pick up. There were a few places farther along the coast that would be better. Still, it was too late to change things. And it might work to their advantage if Genom was watching the more likely places.

She activated a tight beam com link, linking it to Nene's Tempest. "Have you completed copying it yet?"

"Almost," Nene replied. "There is a lot."

"Make sure that there is no sign of the tampering."

"Hai, hai."

* * *

A few minutes later the Knight Sabers and Yoshiro were hiding within the cement breakers, the ocean waves lapping close by. They had exited their motoslaves. The motoslaves were currently crouched in the cover of some breakers further down the beach. Yoshiro was holding his returned briefcase tight to his chest, as if his life depended on it.

"I'm getting some strange readings from the water," Nene told Sylia. She had placed her hand on the other woman's hardsuit, forming a private link.

"What?"

"I've got some metal readings, maybe thirty meters out."

"Boomers?"

"Maybe, or maybe just an old car, or some junk."

Sylia thought about it for a moment. "Keep an eye on it."

"Hai," Nene said, then paused. "They're coming. Out there." She pointed.

Sylia looked where Nene had indicated, using the vision enhancers in her helmet to spot the low-flying aircraft. A GD Pelican, an American military craft designed for stealth insertions and extractions. Perfect for smugglers. It looked a little like a flying manta ray with a truncated tail.

"Are we clear?" Sylia asked Nene.

"There are some aircraft about twenty kilometres from our present position, but they are holding position. Still no movement from the potential threat."

"Good. Send the signal. Let's move out."

Nene moved out into the open so she could use her laser transmitter to send the message. Best no one else heard any of it. The other Knight Sabers had moved out, forming a protective circle about Andrews as they moved towards the water. Some distance away the motoslaves shifted their position, ready to cover the Knight Sabers if needed.

The Pelican picked up a little speed as it began to approach the shore. In a few moments it would be over.

It was then that the first boomers broke the surface of the water between the Knight Sabers and the approaching Pelican. There were ten of them, 9 C-Class, with one 99C leading the way.

Thanks to Nene's warning Sylia was not surprised. While very curious as to how the boomers came to be waiting for them, she would worry about that and what it might mean later. "Two, three, hold them off. Five keep the package safe. Four, jam them, and get a message off to the support units, we need cover fire."

Even as Sylia was relaying her orders the rest of the Knight Sabers were moving. Priss and Linna rushed forward, splashing into the water. Mackie grabbed Yoshiro and pulled him back amongst the cement breakers. The ordered movement of the boomers became a little ragged as their communications were jammed. The motoslaves began to open fire, perhaps even before Nene had relayed the orders-both a good and bad thing about the improved AIs.

Sylia smiled behind her faceplate, feeling a sense of satisfaction at her team's actions. She raised her suit's arms, powering up the beam cannons.

The 99C arrived first, pushing ahead of its lesser brethren. Linna had moved forward to face it, lifting her power arm, the glow of the primed finger lasers obvious.

The 99C, covered in mud from the sea bottom, leapt, hands extended to grab her.

Linna took to the air, vaulting over the incoming boomer, landing on its back, then leaping up, and towards the other boomers.

The 99C was still tracking Linna so it was taken by surprise by Priss' suddento itappearance. She slammed the knuckle guard on her left hand straight into it, shattering the armour on its side and knocking it aside.

The boomer twisted about, getting its feet solidly under it as the mouth cannon deployed, ready for use.

Priss moved in, side stepping the first shot, avoiding a sweep of its arm, and then pushing her knuckle bomber deep into the rent the knuckle guard had made. The shaped charge sent a lance of superheated gas right through the boomer and out the other side. It also knocked Priss back a little, but she had taken that into account.

As the 99C staggered back, trying to bypass the damaged components, Priss raised her left leg parallel to the ground, cocking the knee. A moment later the lower part of her leg slammed into the boomer's hip, coinciding with the detonation of two of the leg bombers.

The explosive force sent Priss staggering back even as it ripped the large boomer in half. Priss regained her balance and looked towards the remains of the 99C to make sure it was out of the fight.

Linna had been busy as well while Priss fought. Two of the C-Class boomers were down and she was on her third. Spinning in close to it, her ribbons slashed its left arm completely off and its right arm off at the elbow. As it opened it mouth, the cannon pushing forth, she drove her knuckle bomber forward into its opening mouth. The resulting explosion tore the boomer's head right off.

Another boomer lunged towards her, but several bolts of energy lanced through it. One of them must have touched off its fuel for it exploded. "Thanks," Linna called out to Sylia as she turned towards another of the boomers, just before it exploded, torn apart by a burst of cannon fire from the motoslaves.

* * *

They were very good, these Knight Sabers, Akiko thought, watching the fight unfold. Less than a minute into it, and already the 99C and six of the C-Class were down. She did not have much hope for the three remaining C-Class.

She shifted her attention to the Pelican that was sitting out there. She suspected the pilot did not want to come into a hot LZ. Understandable of course, but she needed that aircraft closer. Well, once the boomers had been taken care of by the Knight Sabers it was very likely that the pilot would be willing to move closer.

Everything was working out, more or less as she had wanted.

* * *

The last of the C-Class fell, taken out by a burst from the Heavy Motoslave's cannon. The motoslaves moved into position on the beach, their weapons held ready. Sylia looked about, wondering if that was it.

"The aircraft are approaching fast," Nene said. "They should be here within a minute."

"Get the package into the water," Sylia told Mackie.

Mackie pushed Yoshiro forward toward the water's edge. The Pelican was slowly moving forward, the turbofans within the wings whipping the water into a froth.

That's when Nene detected the incoming threat, coming in from the opposite side of the road. She relayed the news to Sylia. Sylia took a moment to consider the options open to her, then ordered Priss to take care of the package while the rest of the Knight Sabers moved to meet the new threat.

While it took Priss out of the main fight, Sylia was certain that Priss could keep Yoshiro alive long enough to get him into the Pelican.

The Typhoon II, Sylia's Hurricane, the Heavy Motoslave and Linna's Tornado moved up to the fore, the first line of defence. Nene was letting the Tempest enfold her in its protective cocoon. When the boomers, Dobermans, leapt over the road, coming right at them, they were met with a hail of weapon fire that nearly stopped them. Their return fire was a little off, but the heavy beam cannons were enough to force the motoslaves to give up a little ground.

Linna moved up between the Tempest and the Typhoon, catching one of the Dobermans by surprise. Her knuckle bomber thrust out, slamming into the boomer's abdominal area. The explosive tore a hole into it but did not have enough force to penetrate to the other side.

Linna stepped back as the large boomer lashed out at her with its razor-sharp claws. Before it could connect the Tempest had grabbed the Doberman's arm. On its other side the Typhoon grabbed the other arm. In a savage display of power, the two motoslaves ripped the arms from the Doberman. While the Typhoon dropped the arm and turned towards another threat, the Tempest lay into the Doberman with the boomer's own arm, crushing its head and sending it stumbling back.

Sylia put herself in front of the first of the Dobermans to get past the motoslaves, waiting until it committed to an attack on her. She side-stepped it and let her swords slide free. One slash and the beam cannon on the left arm was cut away. Letting her momentum carry her around the boomer, she next slashed at its propellant tanks. The sword stroke nearly severed one tank-empty as it turned outcompletely away, and cut a deep gash in the second.

The boomer spun about, forcing Sylia to duck to avoid a blast from the remaining beam cannon. She shifted to the side, then stood up, using the power of the suit's legs to drive herself up, both sword blades leading. She cut up through its chest, continuing upwards until the tip of the blade on her right arm was buried in the middle of the boomer's skull.

She then violently pulled the swords free, doing more damage in their removal.

While grievously damaged, the Doberman was still able to counter-attack, sending a kick smashing into Sylia and sending her flying back.

Sylia twisted about, managing to land on her feet, but in a bad position. She was left wide open for the boomer's next attack. The attack never came.

The Hurricane had opened up on the Doberman with its machine cannon as soon as Sylia had been kicked away. With the damage already done to it, the boomer did not last long.

Away from the battle Priss pushed Yoshiro into the water up to their knees. She would have gone deeper, but she did not want the water to hamper her if she had to fight. The Pelican was approaching, but it was obvious that the pilot was being careful. Hurry up, Priss thought.

Behind her the rest of the Knight Sabers were dealing with the three remaining boomers, holding them back. While Priss did not think that the three boomers were much of a threat in the long term, in the short term one might break through and get to Yoshiro. She wanted to get the man stuffed into the Pelican, and then go back to help her teammates finish off the boomers.

The Pelican was about ten metres away when one of the hatches opened. Priss began pushing Yoshiro forward, the water getting deeper as she approached the Pelican. It was almost over.

* * *

Akiko had been a little surprised with the ease in which the Knight Sabers handled the Dobermans. She had thought that the units would give them much more trouble. Not so it seemed. They fought well, and they fought together well.

In the end, while it was wasting some valuable resources, she was not displeased with the overall effect.

The Knight Saber in the blue armour was moving Andrews-hakase, and she was sure it was he, towards the Pelican. It was time to act.

She pressed a small signalling unit, sending a small electrical pulse through a landline that ran from her hiding place and into the water. It was the same way she had activated the other boomers she had had hiding under water.

Off shore, to the rear of the approaching Pelican, a large form pushed itself out of the water. A D-Class combat boomer, a very dangerous item to be using in the operation. While she was pushing things with the Dobermans, the combat boomer was nothing but trouble if it was discovered. It was a chance she was willing to take.

The missile tubes on its shoulders opened as it turned itself towards the Pelican. A moment later the area was lit as the rockets began to fire.

Perhaps the pilot of the Pelican, or the Knight Sabers ECM specialist, attempted to jam them. It did not matter if they did. The rockets were line-of-sight weapons, like a bullet.

It was the perfect time to make the attack. The Knight Sabers would have thought that they were close to being victorious, about to complete the mission. The destruction of the Pelican would throw them off, would be a blow to their morale.

Then it would be time for her to move.

* * *

Priss was not sure what had just happened. One moment she was closing on the Pelican, the next moment everything exploded. She lost all sense of location and orientation, though her suit sensors were giving her some picture of what was happening.

Suddenly she jolted to a stop, finding herself lying on the beach. It must have been some sort of explosion. The Pelican had blown up. How? No time for that, Priss told herself as she clambered to her feet.

Her suit's diagnostics showed her no real damage to itself. She was quite up to fighting, if need be, though she thought it more likely that she would need run to get Andrews to safety.

Andrews was lying nearby. Prissas well as the other Knight Saberswas getting a medical feed from the suit that Yoshiro wore. He was still alive, and from the signs she was getting she did not think he was in any danger.

Moving up to him, she grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. "You awake?"

"Yes," he said, sounding a little fazed.

Priss looked around. Linna and the Tornado were just finishing up with the last boomer. Sylia, Nene, Mackie, and the other Motoslaves were firing out over the water. Priss looked out past the burning wreckage of the Pelican. Her sensors showed her the D-Class boomer out in the water.

"One, this is two, I've got the package secured. What do you want me to do, over?"

"Get yourself and the package clear," Sylia ordered.

"What about those incoming aircraft?"

"Just get out of here."

"Your call," Priss said. "Two out."

She pushed Yoshiro off in the other direction, thinking that she would make for the road that ran along the shore. At that moment she spotted something coming in fast. She pulled Yoshiro back, trying to put him behind her.

She was not quick enough.

The attacker flashed by. Yoshiro stumbled back, hit. Priss felt a burning pain along her upper, left arm as a blade slashed through her armour. Everything was happening so fast.

The medical analyser chimed loudly in Priss' helmet, indicating the man had been hurt.

She tried to track the fast moving attacker. Human size and shape, it did not look like any boomer she had fought before. It moved so damn fast.

She looked at Yoshiro. It took her a moment to see the hilt of a knife projecting from his chest.

The attacker was coming back, springing from one of the cement breakers, launching itself at Yoshiro.

Priss managed to put Yoshiro behind her as she shifted into a defensive-fighting stance, ready to intercept the attack. She had enough time to see that her attacker was a woman, or at least built like one.

A moment before she would have hit Priss, the woman dropped down, hit the ground, then pushed off with her arms, vaulting over Priss. Priss cursed even as she reached up, trying to grab the woman from the air. She was just a little too slow.

The woman dropped down behind Yoshiro, the knives in her hands lashing out, cutting deep into the armour on his back. Then she leapt back.

Priss spun, bringing her railgun up, but Yoshiro was falling forward and Priss reached out to catch him. Through the thin material of the glove on her use hand she felt the rents in the armour on his back, and the slickness of his blood.

"Damn it all," Priss cursed as she swung Yoshiro around, holding him close to her as she lifted her power arm, tracking the fast moving woman.

She managed to get off a shot before the woman made a near impossible change in her course, rolling across one of the concrete breakers and then leaping at Priss, or more likely at Yoshiro.

Priss held her movement, tracking the woman as she came in, then at the last moment swung around, pulling Yoshiro clear. As the same time she extended her power arm and slammed it into the woman as she passed.

She watched with some satisfaction as the woman hit the sand and bounced into the water. At the same time she was lifting her power arm up, targeting her attacker.

The needle flashed out, grazing the woman across her side as she rolled to her feet. Before Priss could get another shot off the woman was moving at speed again.

* * *

Akiko's housekeeping computer kept her from paying attention to the pain. Had she been human she probably would have had her spine snapped by the Knight Saber's blow. Obviously it would be a mistake to underestimate her opposition.

She flipped away from the place where she had landed, pushing her body for all the speed it could give her. She was going to have to end this as soon in possible. The other Knight Sabers would probably arrive soon, and she did not think she would stand a chance against all of them. Then again, the rest of her assault force would also be arriving soon, so maybe she had the time.

It was best to finish it quickly though.

* * *

With the last of the Dobermans dealt with the Knight Sabers had turned their full attention towards the D-Class in the water. As soon as the motoslaves started to bring all of their weapons to bear on it, the D-Class disappeared beneath the water again.

Sylia waited a moment, then ordered motoslaves to keep a watch for it as the rest of them moved to help Priss.

It was then that Nene saw the helicopters she had detected earlier were moving in very fast and would be on top of them in seconds. She did not have time to confer with Sylia about what to do. "All stations, dazzle, dazzle, dazzle," she transmitted as she powered up the EMP emitters.

Within seconds the pulse expanded out from the Tempest.

The helicopters suddenly lost all of their electronics, though most of them did not lose their engines. Two did suffer from engine failure and began to fall towards the ocean's surface.

The boomers within the helicopters were also effected by the pulse. More than three-quarters of them shut down. Some, mostly the security models, would need serious work before they would come back on line.

The incoming assault force was out of the picture, for a while at least. Nene felt quite pleased.

* * *

One moment everything seemed to be going well. The next it all went to hell. Akiko only knew of the EMP pulse because her night vision goggles shut down and she lost all communications with the incoming assault force. Fortunately her own systems were very well shielded against that sort of thing.

She was fairly certain of what had happened, but she did not let it concern her. She still had a job. It was just going to be harder to do.

She yanked the now useless night vision goggles off, taking the communication gear with it.

There would be no time for anything fancy Akiko thought as she leapt up to the roadway, avoiding another needle. There was a railing along the road, about eighty centimetres high. She landed on the top of it, turned about, and then launched herself towards Andrews-hakase.

All she could do was hope that her speed would be enough to achieve victory and allow her to survive. Survival was secondary to completing her mission though. She owed Domino that.

* * *

Priss fired and cursed softly as the needle missed the woman, sinking into one of the concrete breakers instead. "She's fast," Priss said softly as she tried to acquire the target again.

The woman, some sort of boomer Priss was sure, leapt to the top of the railing on the road. She then turned and leapt straight towards Priss.

Priss smiled. You're not that fast, she thought as she locked the railgun on the woman's head. The view zoomed in. At that moment she got her first good look at the target. She had removed that mask she was wearing and Priss could see her face. It was the face of a young woman, of a girl still in school, and there was something in that face, perhaps in the eyes, that reminded her of someone.

Sylvie and Anri.

She had been squeezing the trigger for the railgun, but she hesitated, unable to fire the weapon. It only lasted a moment, the slightest of pauses. It was telling though. The young woman used her foot to hook a piece of driftwood jammed into the breakers. It pitched her forward, neatly avoiding the needle that Priss finally managed to fire.

Priss tried to track her, but she was moving a little too fast, and Priss was still a little distracted by thoughts of the sexaroid she had killed and the one she had watched die.

The woman hit the ground, rolled, and then came up, using her legs to propel herself at Andrews. Priss began to shift him around to put herself between him and the attacker. She did not think she would be fast enough.

* * *

The ground rushed up at her. Akiko shifted her foot, freeing it from the branch she had used to change her path of attack. She hit, using her forearms to absorb some of the impact, then redirected her momentum so as to send her into a tight roll.

Now, she thought, as she gathered her legs up underneath her, then lashed out with them, driving herself forward, right at Andrews-hakase.

The Knight Saber in blue tried to move him out of the way, but Akiko's faster reactions made the difference. It was a close thing though.

She lashed out, driving her knife into the man's abdomen, letting the knife slice through the softer armour around the waist, Using the embedded knife as a handle, she carried him with her, breaking him free of the Knight Saber's grip.

She twisted the knife savagely as she spun him about, bringing him around to use as a human shield. Her feet touched the sand and rocks of the beach. She scrambled for purchase and got her feet firmly under her. Andrews-hakase was in front of her, a shield against attack from the Knight Sabers.

Her mission was almost complete. All she had to do was grab the briefcase and get clear.

She reached out and grabbed it, pulling it back. That was when she found out that Andrews had a death grip on it.

She looked up. The Knight Sabers were moving in, fast. She did not have time to play tug of war with this man.

* * *

One moment Priss had a firm grip on Andrews. One moment his medical condition was serious, but stable. Then he was torn from her hands and his condition was plummeting. She spun about, feeling as if the air she was moving through had suddenly grown solid.

The other Knight Sabers were approaching, but she did not think they would arrive in time. Why weren't they firing though? Then she saw why. The woman had put Andrews between herself and them.

The woman had grabbed that briefcase and trying to pull it free, but Andrews was not letting it go.

Then a knife flashed, and again. She jerked him around, hard, moving them both along the beach. The knife flashed once more and she gave him a hard push. His lower arm came off, hacked through at the elbow. Andrews was stumbling towards her, or at least that was how it looked to Priss.

The medical feed told her that he was dead, but she could not help but to reach out and catch him.

The woman was moving, leaping towards the road at speed. Andrews' lower arm was discarded to fall to the beach.

Sylia and the others must have started to fire at the woman. Priss let Andrews go, bringing her railgun up, opening fire on the fleeing murderer. She might have been hit, Priss could not say for sure. She vaulted the rail and was gone from sight.

She was about to follow when the first helicopter flew overhead. From it boomers fell to land on the beach around her.

* * *

Sylia was amazed at how the attacker moved. She was so fast, unbelievably fast, like something form a nightmare. Even as she was firing at her, Sylia did not think that she would hit. Then the target was gone.

Sylia considered her options. She would leave Mackie and Nene behind to take care of Andrews-hakase. She could not be sure he was dead, even though the medical feed told her that he was. She, Linna and Priss would go after the killer.

Her plans were spoiled by the arrival of the helicopters. They were not the ones that Nene had dealt with. They were new arrivals that had come in overland.

From them a number of boomers dropped into the area. Her suit's computer identified them as modified 55Cs. They were all carrying weaponsheavy particle cannons, prototypes. They were extremely dangerous to use in close quarters, though Sylia did not think that the boomers were worried about that.

A boomer, still in human guise, had landed with them. Black suit, the lower cuffs of the pants covered in damp sand after the landing, dark sunglasses. He looked right at Sylia.

"Knight Sabers," he called out in an unnaturally loud voice that they had no trouble hearing. "This is over. Go in peace now and no one else will get hurt. Push the fight and no one walks away from here."

Priss eased Yoshiro's body gently to the beach, and then she stood and began walking towards the boomer in the suit. Her body language, even muted as it was by the hardsuit she wore, spoke of violence. Sylia was certain that they could prove the boomer wrong, that they would walk away from there. Then she looked toward where Mackie stood, and over at the dead body of Andrews-hakase.

"Two, stop," Sylia ordered.

"What?" Priss asked.

"There is no need for this fight. It's over."

Priss shifted her attention between Sylia and the boomer, knowing Sylia was right, but at the same time she was very angry.

Her railgun snapped up, she moved so fast that none of the boomers had time to react.

The boomer in the suit stumbled back, a needle projecting from its shoulder. It looked surprised that its arm was still attached.

"Next time we meet, you take one of those at full power," Priss said, her modulated voice ringing out.

The boomer reached up and pulled the needle from its shoulder. "Next time," it said, letting the steel spike, covered in its blood and other internal fluids, drop to the sand.

"That was stupid," Sylia sent Priss on a tight beam.

"I know," Priss said.

Sylia ordered the Knight Sabers to fall back.

Some distance away a helicopter, marked with red crosses, was landing. From the roadway Sylia watched as paramedic boomers stripped Yoshiro of his protective armour. Even before they had him free of the armour it was obvious there was nothing they could do. All the Knight Sabers watched as the man was zipped into a body bag.

They rode off, leaving the boomers to clean up the mess.

* * *

"Your losses were quite high," Domino said.

"I know. I am sorry," Akiko said.

Domino was sitting at her desk. Akiko was sitting opposite her, still in the combat suit she had been wearing earlier. On the desk between them was the briefcase.

"They were acceptable losses for the most part. The helicopters did take significant damage, however."

Akiko nodded. "I know. I did not expect that the Knight Sabers to have such weaponry."

Domino smiled. "Be careful. Underestimating the Knight Sabers has resulted in a number of people becoming dead."

"Why not destroy them?"

"It would be difficult, and possibly noisy, but that is not why. The Knight Sabers are a very useful resource. They have worked for Genom in the past, they will again. In working against us they keep us sharp. When you find a worthy, honourable enemy, keep them."

Akiko looked a little confused, but nodded anyway.

"Go and get your wounds treated, then go home and get some rest. I'll want a report from you by the close of business tomorrow."

Akiko got to her feet, stepped back from the desk, and then bowed deeply. "Thank you very much." She turned and walked towards the door.

When she reached the door Domino called out, "You did good work."

Akiko looked back and smiled. Then she left.

Domino waited until the door was closed, then reached for her phone. She tapped in a number and waited until it was picked up. "Miss Lin, I want you to come to my office, as soon as possible."

* * *

**Tuesday March 14th, 3:14am**

"What did she cut you with?" Sylia asked, looking at the gash in Priss' hardsuit.

"Probably with something like this," Priss said, holding the knife she had pulled from Yoshiro's chest.

Sylia looked at the knife, and the dried blood on it. She reached out and took it from Priss.

"What do you think it is?" Priss asked her.

"Something new I suppose," Sylia told her as she looked the blade over. "I'll examine it later, see if there might be some sort of defence I can work out in case we face it or similar again."

Priss nodded. "You know that boomer, it reminded me of a 33-S."

"It was a 33-S," Sylia told her. "Second generation."

"Something else new?"

"Not really. Combat sexaroid, using a move by wire system to get the performance we witnessed. Very deadly." Sylia pulled out some tools and began working on the cut in the armour.

"Why haven't we seen them before?"

"The entire experiment was a failure. All the units developed a form of neurological damage that killed them. That one we saw might very well be the last one."

Priss was silent for a time. "That's kind of sad when you think about it."

"I suppose," Sylia said.

"Mackie-kun and Ojisan are packing up all the kit to take it back. They're doing quick patches on everything. Linna took Nene home."

Sylia nodded. "Good. What about you?"

"I don't know, I'll find some place to crash. I don't like wandering into their place after midnight."

"Sounds like you are being a conscientious house guest. What has living with the Romanovas been like?"

Priss smiled. "They're the decent sort of people I thought I despised. Ali-san is a dangerous woman."

"How so?"

"Given time she might reform me."

Sylia smiled slightly at that. "That would be something I'd like to see."

"Well you aren't going to see it. I'll clear out of there soon enough."

"It seems Nene-san thought that she might do that sometime ago," Sylia told Priss as she began to pack up her tools. "I'll get this fixed up in a day or two. There is no serious damage. What about your shoulder?"

Priss looked at the bandage wrapped around her upper arm. "Wasn't that deep. A couple of butterfly suture strips closed it up nice and clean. Probably won't even be a scar." Priss paused and then shook her head. "Teme," she cursed, but with no feeling.

"What?" Sylia asked.

"Romanova Ali-san is a very dangerous woman. You think that you are winning, but suddenly you find yourself saying exactly what she would have wanted you to say. Gods, I'm amazed that Nene-chan actually managed to get away from her."

"I'm sure you'll both survive. Is there anything that needs to be taken care of?"

"Linna-san tell you that she is staying?"

"Yes. A pleasant surprise."

Priss nodded. "So what was in the briefcase."

"I'd rather not say."

"Tell me anyway."

Sylia stopped herself from sighing. "As you guessed Nene-san got one of her fibre optic lines into the case. There was memory storage module in it. She linked up with it and copied it all. While she has only broken the encryption on a very small part of it, I'm sure that it is my father's research and notes."

"His boomer stuff?"

Sylia nodded.

"I take it you are not happy about that."

"It's bad enough that Genom has it. I don't want someone else misusing it as well." Sylia got to her feet. "I'll finish packing up here. You can go. Stop by my apartment tomorrow and we'll work up some after action reports and figure out the costs."

"Think the clients are going to be upset with us?"

"Probably, but it won't be a problem."

Priss nodded, then turned and walked from the room.

Sylia remained for a moment, looking at the cut in the armour of Priss' suit, but not really seeing it. Andrews-hakase had been one of her father's assistants, a friend as far as she knew, and now he was dead. Killed by Genom. And yet he had tired to sell her father's work to, well, someone. She did not think that this someone would use it in any way she would have approved of. She was not sure whether to be sad that he was dead, or glad. She did not know whether to add this to the crimes of Genom, or to thank them for dealing with him.

It was all very confusing.

* * *

Priss walked across the stained floor of the garage. In the far repair bay Mackie and Dr. Raven were loading the truck up with the armour and motoslaves. She walked towards them. "Oi, Mackie-kun, Ojisan."

"Hakase!" Raven barked.

Priss smiled. "Hai, hai. Need any help?"

"No," Mackie said. "We've almost got everything finished."

Priss nodded. "So, where's my car?" she asked Raven.

"I sent it out to a contractor."

"I thought maybe you had tossed it into that junk heap out back."

"Not yet."

"Call me when its been fixed up then," Priss told him as she started walking towards her bike.

* * *

Rebecca looked over the data that ran across her screen. "It's been copied," she said, looking up at Domino. "Good job too. You almost can't see it."

"When exactly?" Domino asked her.

"Earlier this morning, started at 1:16am, finished at 1:18am."

Domino nodded. "It is not a problem then. I am not concerned about that person having the information."

"Who?"

"That is need to know, and you have no need to know."

"I hate being kept in the dark," Rebecca said quietly.

Domino reached out and disconnected the memory module from the computer. "Thank you for coming so fast."

"No problem. I really don't need much sleep now."

"A silver lining in every cloud Miss Lin. How is your new roommate working out?"

Rebecca said nothing for a few seconds, then look at Domino. "I really like Kiki-san."

"Akiko," Domino corrected her as she put the module back into the briefcase.

"She likes to be called Kiki."

"It's probably not good for her. It's the pet name of a dead girl."

"That's morbid."

"But true. I take it you like her."

Rebecca nodded. "She's really nice. She kind of reminds me of Jasmine. Is she really dying?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"No."

Rebecca looked upset. With her child's face it made it look as if she was about to cry. "But she's a boomer."

"That does not preclude her from dying," Domino told her. "She, and you, are very close to human. So close you share many of our frailties."

"It's unfair."

"One might say that life is like that. Go home."

"Maybe," Rebecca said. Then she looked at Domino, her face growing hard. "I still don't like you."

"I'm aware of that." Domino was careful not to smile.

* * *

Priss had not been sure where she was going to go. She had considered heading to her new place and crashing there, but the carpenters would be showing up later to finish the work. She had thought about a coffin hotel, then discounted it. She wanted someone to talk to. Someone who would understand what she was going through.

The nights in District 24, seeing that sexaroid, being reminded of Sylvie and Anri, watching Andrews die, it had brought back a number of memories that Priss would have preferred to do without.

She needed to be with someone.

That was how she ended up standing in front of Miako's door, early in the morning. She knocked, not to loudly, part of her hoping that the door would not open. She waited a minute and was about to leave when the hall light just outside the door came on.

A few seconds later the door opened. Miako stood there in a large T-shirt that went almost to her knees. "Priss-san? What are you doing here?"

Priss was suddenly at a loss for words. She could not really explain to Miako what had happened. "It's been a bad night in some ways," she finally said. "Can I come in?"

Miako looked a little puzzled, but then smiled. "Please do."

Priss stepped into the apartment, pulling the door closed behind her. Miako took a pair of slippers from the cabinet by the door and placed them down. Priss slid her feet out of her riding boots and then stepped up, out of the genkan. She put her feet into the slippers.

Miako reached around her, her body brushing Priss, as she locked the door.

"Sorry about showing up here like this," Priss said.

"Sleep is over rated," Miako told her. "Come on." She turned and walked down the small hallway.

Priss followed her. The hallway opened into a large room with little furniture other than a few stools and a large table. Across the table were scattered hundreds of photographs. "My studio," Miako said with a smile.

Priss nodded as she looked around, drifting towards a set of framed pictures on one wall. They were all landscapes. "These are very beautiful," Priss said after a moment.

"My nature phase," Miako said. "Back when I wasn't so bitter."

Priss nodded. "I can relate."

"Want some coffee?"

"No."

"Beer?"

"No thanks," Priss turned to face Miako.

"Marijuana? Cocaine? Valium? Methamphetamine? If you want something a bit more exotic I can have it delivered in under an hour."

"I don't want any drugs," Priss told her firmly.

"Okay, then what?"

"It's been a bad night, and I need to talk, but I can't talk."

"Ah, one of those nights."

"Yes." Priss nodded.

"Need my help to move a body?"

"No," Priss said, smiling.

"Can you tell me anything?"

"I'm just dealing with a lot of old memories. I thought you'd understand."

"I probably do." Miako walked over to Priss. "You can sleep here."

Priss nodded. "Thanks." She turned back to the pictures. "So why don't you do work like this anymore?"

"I stopped taking nature photos when I left Kasuga-sensei."

"Kasuga-sensei?"

"An old man who took me off the street after the quake. Started to teach me about photography and stuff. He was sort of a father figure at first, then he became more." She reached out and touched the glass over a picture of a sunrise on Fuji-san. "A real May December relationship I guess you could call it.

"His daughters did not approve, not that I can really blame them. I was a lot younger then them. I was younger than their kids actually. It got kind of tense near the end and I finally bailed. Sort of sad I guess. I figure he's dead by now."

"Sort of sad," Priss agreed.

Miako looked at Priss, watching her as she stared at the photograph. Finally she reached out and took Priss' hand. Priss looked at her, a little confused. "Come on." She gave Priss a gentle pull. Priss could have resisted, but instead she allowed Miako to lead her to the bedroom.

Miako turned Priss then pushed her back so she landed on the bed. Without saying anything she pulled off her T-shirt, which was all she had been wearing, and then climbed into the bed. She moved herself around so she was on her hands and knees, her face just above Priss'.

"Sometimes it helps you know. If only in that you can forget for a while. Drugs are easier I suppose, but not as satisfying." Miako waited to see if Priss would reply. When it became obvious Priss was not going to say anything she lowered her head until her lips touched Priss'.

For a time Priss just lay there as Miako did all the work. Then she reached out, wrapping her arms around Miako, drawing her close to herself, holding her tight. Forgetting for a time did not seem like a bad thing, and it had been a long time.

* * *

The sun had been up for a few hours and the day was warming, a little. It would not be long before spring arrived. New beginnings, Sylia thought as she stared down on the street below her. She had managed a little sleep since she had come back to the apartment, enough to feel a little refreshed.

The morning news was full of stories about the death of Yoshiro Andrews. Killed in a car crash, so the news reported. Alcohol was suspected to be the cause. The police were investigating.

Genom was always very good at cleaning up their messes.

* * *

Domino walked through the halls of the upper executive level feeling a good deal better than she had for the past few days. With the Andrews matter dealt with, and the data recovered, she was again in Quincy's good graces. She had cleaned up her own mess, which was what was important. Of course being in his favour did not mean she was completely safe in the Tower. All the old power games still applied after all.

What she did not have to worry about was someone trying to undercut her just because they thought Quincy would let them.

It made everything easier.

She stopped in front of the heavy oak door that led into Madigan's office suite. She paused for a moment, then opened the door. "Excuse me," she said as she entered.

"Good evening Odotte-sama," one of Madigan's office ladies said, bowing to her. "How can I help you?"

"I'd like to talk to Madigan-san, if she has time," Domino told her. She knew that Madigan had no reason to see her. Domino hoped that she would anyway.

"Of course. Please wait one moment," she said, then bowed before turning and walking toward the door to Madigan's office.

Another office lady came up to Domino and offered her a cup of tea and asked if she would like to sit down.

Before Domino could answer, the first office lady came out of Madigan's office. "Madigan-sama can see you," she told Domino.

"Thank you," Domino said, placing the untouched teacup back on the tray the second office lady carried. She walked towards Madigan's office, stepping through the doorway. The office lady closed it behind her.

"Thank you for your time," Domino said to Madigan, bowing just enough.

"Odotte-san, you need my help," Madigan said, not bothering with any pleasantries.

Domino smiled. "I would prefer to say that we will both help each other, but yes, I need your help. My association with you would help to dispel any thoughts that I might still be in a position of weakness."

"I know how it helps you, how will it help me?"

"Privileged information. Oh, Quincy-shachou will no doubt inform you, but if you come with me, now, you will get it earlier."

Madigan said nothing for a moment. She knew the value of information, and she knew that the sooner one knew something the better. It was a very tempting offer. "And what if the information is not as valuable as the favour I will be doing you?"

"It is."

"But what if it isn't?"

"Then I'll owe you a favour won't I?"

Madigan considered Domino's words for a moment. "That will be acceptable. I take it you want to do whatever we are going to do now?"

"Yes."

"Just let me clear a few things up."

* * *

The first thing he was aware of was the pain. Not terrible pain really, just kind of a background throb. With the pain was a feeling, like he was wrapped up in cotton. Probably drugs he realised, for the pain. Okay, he could deal with that.

After a moment he became aware of voices.

"How is he?" A voice he recognised asked.

"He's well. We've repaired all damage. We don't expect any problems," a male voice he did not know replied.

"This is brilliant," a voice he thought sounded familiar, but could not recognise, said. "How have you kept it secret?"

"My people know how to keep silent. Is he awake?"

"Soon," the male voice said.

He heard a sound, a tapping. It came closer, then stopped. There was a stinging as he was slapped across the face. "Wake up Andrews-hakase," Domino said.

Yoshiro's eyes fluttered open. He found himself staring up at Domino. "Odotte," he said. He was in Genom. At least he was still alive.

"Don't forget me," the owner of the other voice said. It was Katherine Madigan. The two of them together? Suddenly he felt very worried.

"How are you feeling Hakase?"

"There is a little pain," he told her.

"Yes, I would expect that. You must forgive Sheffield-san; she was only following my orders. The knives she stuck you with, do you remember?"

Yoshiro had flashes of something, a fight in the beach, pain in his chest, then back, and then abdomen. A lot of pain. "Yes," he said.

"They killed you. You were officially dead."

"Fortunately for you Genom has the technology to deal with that," Madigan said, leaning close to his face. "You were quite lucky. Most of you is still very organic."

"The cybernetics are well below that special seventy percent mark. Mostly just a few augmentations to your heart and lungs," Domino told him. "We did have to replace your arm though. I do hope you understand about that. Sheffield-san just did not have time to be neat about it. I'm sure you don't mind."

"My arm?"

"Replaced with the best Genom has to offer," Madigan told him. "No one will ever know it is not real."

"Unless," Domino laughed, "someone tries to cut it off."

"There is that." Madigan said.

Yoshiro felt ill.

"You look pale Andrews-hakase. Are you sure you are all right?"

Yoshiro nodded.

"Good, because we need to talk."

"Yes, we have a lot to talk about," Madigan said.

"About all your dealings with our enemies," Domino told him, leaning over him.

"And anything else we might find interesting."

"You might as well know you are dead doctor, legally that is."

"We'll be having your funeral service tomorrow. We wish it to be over with so it will not colour Bestar-san's tribute to the late Stingray-hakase." Madigan smiled.

"If you are legally dead, it is very easy for you to become actually dead," she stressed both 'legally' and 'actually'.

"Very easy."

"You should know I am quite capable of torturing you, but I would rather not. For our old times sake. Tell us everything we need to know and you won't be hurt." Domino smiled down at him.

"Any more than you all ready are of course."

"Of course." Domino looked across at Katherine still smiling.

Yoshiro looked between them, knowing that they would do as they said. He felt terrified but tried to tell himself it was just an effect of Odotte's pheromones. It did not help.

In the end he had no choice if he wanted to live. When it came to his life, decisions became very easy.

* * *

Quincy had said nothing as both Odotte and Madigan made their reports to him. He just listened as he learned how Andrews had sold them out. When they had finished he turned in his chair and looked out the windows. "Odotte-kun."

"Hai!"

"Will you be able to use this information to discover who our enemies are."

"Hai."

"Good. Madigan-kun."

"Hai."

Quincy nodded. "You may both go now."

The two women bowed in unison, not even noticing it, then left his office as they had been commanded.

Quincy looked out the windows at his city. An interesting gambit on the part of their enemy, but it had failed. And in making it they revealed more than they knew. As good as they were, they still had much to learn. Quincy had no intentions of giving them that time.

* * *

**Wednesday March 15th, 9:46pm**

The TV in Linna's living room was the only light source. The flickering light revealed Linna and Nene sitting at the kotatsu, their feet under the table, covered by the blanket. Somewhere under there Neko occasionally nipped at Nene's feet, making her giggle. Priss was just behind them, lying on the couch.

On the table were several bags of empty chip bags, juice and beer cans.

It was a party of sorts that Linna was throwing because she was staying. Nene, who had not even known that Linna was planning on leaving, had not known whether to be happy or angry. She still did not, but had decided to enjoy the movies they had come to Linna's place to watch.

"Oh please!" Priss said as the movie reached a point that she could not believe. It had not been the first such part.

"Quiet," Nene snapped. "I'm trying to watch this."

"Yeah, save your whining until the movie ends," Linna said as she picked up the remote to rewind the movie back to the part before Priss had interrupted. Priss bounced an empty beer can off her head.

The movie played out again until the end. When the credits began to roll Priss said, "Well, that was stupid."

"What do you mean?" Nene asked her. "I thought it was very romantic."

"Please," Priss said. "Let's look at it, especially that last part. You have this stripper..."

"Exotic dancer," Linna said.

"What?"

"She was an exotic dancer."

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes!" Linna snapped. "A big difference."

"Have you ever been an exotic dancer?" Nene asked Linna, smiling.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I'm on which ever side is not making fun of me."

"Okay," Priss said. "You've got an exotic dancer, who is also a welder, which is a mix that makes so much sense. Anyway, our dancer slash welder manages to audition for a big city ballet company and gets in. Not only that, she ends up with the guy with the Porsche. Sure."

"It's not that impossible," Linna told her.

"Why? Did you get a rich guy?" Priss asked, reaching for a new beer.

"Maybe," Linna said.

"What?" Nene asked. "Have you got a new boyfriend."

"That would make what, the tenth this year?" Priss asked her.

"If I do have a boyfriend, it is only the second, well, third if you count that computer programmer."

"So does this one have a Porsche?" Priss asked her.

"That sort of thing in none of your business."

"I have a boyfriend," Nene said suddenly.

"What?" Linna asked.

"Does he have a Porsche?" Priss asked her.

"I met him at work. He is so cute. A great kisser too," Nene said, blushing slightly.

"Does kaa-san know about this?" Priss asked playfully.

"No, and you better not tell her," Nene warned.

"Or what? You'll have your cat attack me?"

"Something like that."

Priss smiled. "I'll keep your secret, if you help me get a new computer."

"A new computer?' Nene asked.

"I'll need something for my studio," Priss told her.

"Deal," Nene said.

"When are you going to move in?" Linna asked her.

"Tomorrow, the next day. Whenever."

"So, are you dating anyone Priss?" Nene asked.

"As if my life is not already complicated enough." Priss got up from the couch. She handed a beer to Linna, then one to Nene. "Let's drink to Linna staying." She opened her own beer.

The other two opened their beer cans, and then raised them so they clicked against Priss'.

"Kampai," the all said together, then took a drink.

"So what do we watch next?" Linna asked.

"What else?" Priss asked, smiling.

"Oh no, not again," Linna said.

"Yes," Priss told her.

"What?" Nene asked.

"That movie," Linna said. "Yet again."

"What movie?" Nene asked, feeling like she was being left out of something.

Priss smiled broadly. "The Seven Samurai."

* * *

**Tech Notes:** Akiko's Knives - The knives that Akiko used were made out of medium grade Abotex, grown in microgravity conditions. They are very, very expensive.

Abotex Knife  
Conceal: 7  
Reach: -  
Damage: (STR)S  
Weight: .5  
Availability: NA  
Cost: 3500000 yen  
Street Index: 3  
Legal: 8-K

Note: These weapons can be treated as being Dikoted and as such can cut hardened targets.

Genom Experimental Heavy Particle Cannon - The weapons pack a very powerful punch, but generate a great deal of heat, as well as small, electrical discharges in the immediate area when they are fired. They also are extreme power hogs and can only be fired so many times.  
What they do do well is intimidate people.  
Genom hopes to deal with the problems and make the weapon a standard add-on for boomer armament.

Heavy Particle Cannon  
Conceal: -  
Ammo: 4(m)  
Mode: SS  
Damage: 16D  
Weight: 40  
Availability: NA  
Cost: 75000000 yen  
Street Index: 4  
Legal: 1-K RC: -  
The weapon is considered to be armour piercing.

Note: The weapons will not accept any accessories at this point. The electrical discharges and heat would damage them if it were attempted to put them on.

_"It's unthinkable to be disturbed at something like being ordered to become a ronin. People...used to say 'If one has not been a ronin at least seven times he will not be a true retainer. Seven times down, eight times up.' One should understand that it is something like being a self-righting doll. The master is also apt to give such orders as a test"_  
- **Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	26. Fearful Symmetry 1

_Tyger! Tyger! burning bright  
In the forest of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?_

_In what distant deeps or skies  
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  
On what wings dare he aspire?  
What the hand, dare seize the fire?_

_And what shoulder, & what art,  
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?  
And when thy heart began to beat,  
What dread hand? & what dread feet?_

_What the hammer? what the chain?  
In what furnace was thy brain?  
What the anvil? what dread grasp  
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?_

_When the stars threw down their spears,  
And water'd heaven with their tears,  
Did he smile his work to see?  
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?_

_Tyger! Tyger! burning bright  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?_

**William Blake (1757-1827)**

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (1 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005)

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**Monday, March 20, 10:23am**

"Get the suspension on this thing fixed ojisan," Priss said as the pick up truck hit a pothole.

"Hakase," Raven said without his usual vehemence. "And the suspension is fine. It's probably your hangover."

"If you say so," Priss said, knowing that he was right. The previous night had been rough. "So, how's he doing?"

"Better. He's still not completely over everything, but I think he is well over the worst part."

"And the girl?"

"Naomi-san is still in a rough area. Her psychologist says she is getting better, Gibson is not so sure."

"I can't believe that they arrested her," Priss said disgustedly. "The police are idiots."

"Fortunately they did not hold her very long."

"Yeah, I guess."

The conversation just died at that point. They rode in silence until they pulled up to an old, weathered building, marked as a garage. Raven steered the pick up truck into the small parking lot, putting it beside another pick up truck, almost equally as battered as his.

Priss removed her seat belt then opened the passenger door and climbed from the cab of the truck. "Kind of a rough area," she said, looking about the place. "How soon before Genom comes through here and starts tearing everything down?"

"About six months. Gibson plans to move then, if he has the funds," Raven told her as he climbed out of the truck.

"And if he doesn't?"

"Maybe he'll have to work for someone. Come on," he told her as he walked towards a side entrance.

Priss followed, but stopped just before entering the garage. She looked about the area. It was similar in ways to her new home. Soon the area around the factory would be cleared and houses, or condos, or apartment buildings would start going up. She again wondered what her eventual new neighbours were going to think of the old factory in their midst?

She shook her head and stepped inside of the garage. What did it matter what they might or might not think?

The interior of the garage was much what Priss would have expected, though not quite as cluttered as others she had been in. She noticed the boomers almost immediately. They were older models, most were of the mannequin type. They stood near various machines, all deactivated except for one which was working a metal lathe.

"His staff?" Priss asked Raven, indicating the boomers.

"In a way. They make a number of the parts he needs to restore and rebuild vehicles."

"Probably why he can work so cheap."

"Raven-sama," Gibson called, sounding a little surprised as he stepped from a back room. "I though you'd be by later."

Raven smiled. "She was in a rush," he told Gibson, looking over at Priss. "This is Priss Asagiri. Priss-san, this is Gibson."

"Pleased to meet you," Gibson said as he crossed the floor, extending his hand. He then noticed that his hand was dirty with oil and grime. "Sorry," he said, taking a rag from his pocket to wipe the hand off. He held it out again, mostly clean.

Priss took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Yoroshiku," she said to him.

"So, you're the owner of the Cobra."

"I am, though I'm beginning to regret it."

"Pardon?"

"Just not a car person. I restored it for something to do."

Gibson looked a little confused, but shook it off. "Well, maybe once you get a look at it you will change your mind, and if you still aren't interested in it, I know a lot of people who would be interested in buying it from you."

"Like you said, let's see it first."

Gibson nodded. "This way," he told her, leading both Priss and Raven to the far end of the garage. There were three cars there, all three under car covers. Gibson walked to the one on the left and grasped the cover, giving it a good pull. "Ta dah!"

Priss did not recognise the car at first. She had a hard time matching the old, beat up car that had once rested on its rims in an old factory with the machine in front of her. All the dents had been hammered out, missing exterior parts replaced, new tires had been put on it, and it had been painted black. A high gloss black, like a mirror.

"How many coats of polish did you put on this thing?" Priss asked, taking a step closer.

"A few, but there is a corrosion resistant coat under the paint and a chip resistant sealant over it which makes all the difference. Let me pop the hood, then I'll tell you what I did." A few seconds later the hood was up, revealing the big engine. "It was in reasonable condition when I got it, I just had to recondition what was there. What was not there I had to build from scratch."

"Looks like you did a good job."

"Thanks," Gibson told her. "I used a lot of aluminium and ceramics, which they did not use or did not have back in the 1960s. The result is that the engine, the entire car, is a lot lighter than the original design. To make up for that I put some weights over the rear axle for better traction, and to keep it on the road. You are still about twenty percent lighter than the original Shelby was. You'll notice that in the acceleration and top speed."

"So it will go fast," Priss said, smiling slightly. It was beginning to sound better.

"What about the interior?" Raven asked. He had hung back and was looking into the car.

"Wood, ceramic and leather. I used a little plastic where I had to, but stayed away from it as much as possible. I pulled most of the interior out of the wreck of a Porsche and then used that as the basis for everything else I chose."

Raven nodded, impressed with the work done on the car.

"Looks good," Priss said. "I'm not saying I want to sell it right now, but if I did, how much do you think I could get?"

"Well, that would be hard to say really," Gibson admitted. "I'd say you'd make back what you paid me at least six or seven times over. And it could be a lot more than that, if we found someone who was really interested. Do you want me to start looking for a buyer?"

"Not yet," Priss said, "but you might keep it in mind, just in case I do decide to let it go. You'd get what, ten percent?"

"Between five and ten."

"Sounds fair," Priss said as she closed the hood. "Let me see what it can do before I make any decisions."

Gibson nodded and reached into the pockets of his overalls. He removed a set of keys and handed them to Priss.

"Thanks," she said as she took them.

"No problem."

Priss opened the car door, a little off put by the fact the driver's seat was on the left side, and climbed into the car.

"All the safety features are modern," Gibson told her as he leaned in. "And of course it meets or exceeds all the emission standards."

Priss nodded. Gibson had moved in close enough for her to see the tiny scars around his eyes. She had heard he had lost them during the incident with the Griffon. She suspected his eyes were cybernetic replacements, though they might be organic. That would have been expensive, however. "Does it beep if I take it over one hundred kilometres?"

Gibson smiled. "I didn't think you'd want that option."

"You thought right."

"Good stereo though."

"Finally, something important," Priss said to him, smiling. She then closed the door and put her seat belt on. Gibson stepped back as she started up the car. The engine roared to life, shaking the entire car. It might not have been a bike, but it had promise, Priss thought.

Raven had moved toward the garage door controls and opened one of the doors to the street. Priss put the car into first and let up on the clutch. She did not have much experience with cars, but she figured she'd make do. The car moved forward with a slight jolt, and the engine rumbled as if it were about to stall, but Priss gave it a little gas and that smoothed out. Carefully she drove the car across the garage floor, out the door, and onto the road.

She waved once out the open window, then sped off.

Raven closed the door. Gibson came up beside him. "She does not seem the car type."

"No, she isn't." He turned and looked towards the other covered cars. "What are they?"

"One is a THP chase car, the other is a '07 Ferrari roadster that someone from Genom had me rebuild."

"The THP giving you trouble?"

Gibson shrugged his shoulders. "I can't blame them for being angry at me. They have cause. If all they do is come in here and give me a hard time and expect me to fix their cars for next to nothing, I'll consider myself lucky."

Raven nodded and said nothing.

* * *

The door to the loading bay rolled up, the chains clanking disharmoniously over the runners. The black Shelby Cobra pulled into the factory, up a ramp Priss had put in, and onto the main factory floor. Priss slowed the car down and stopped it within an area she had marked off with rubber bumpers. Her parking lot.

A few seconds later the car was shut off and Priss was out of it, slamming the door. The sound echoed in the large space. She looked at the car again, appreciating the beauty of it, and wondering again why she had bothered.

She turned away from the car and walked across the wide floor, the concrete grey and cold, to the stairs at the far end of the factory. She passed her new bike, a custom model that Raven-Hakase and Mackie had built for her. She had been saving up for it before her sudden windfall, so did not feel she had spent too much. Her old bike was parked beside it.

She used to have so little space that she could not have afforded to hold onto anything more than one bike. Now space was the least of her worries. She wondered if she would become a packrat.

Her footsteps echoed hollowly on the metal stairs, filling the empty space of her home. She reached the door at the top of the stairs and unlocked it, then deactivated the security system. She had lived without any more security than the lock on her trailer for a long timethough she had had a number of anti-eavesdropping devicesand all the electronic gadgets made her feel like she was a prisoner.

It was all too much really, but she had let herself be talked into it by the contractor and architect. Both of them had sounded like they knew what they were talking about. Kano had also sounded knowledgeable about it and then there was Sylia who, when asked about security systems, had talked for a long time.

If it wasn't for the fact she had paid so much for them she might just leave the systems deactivated.

She kicked her shoes off in the genkan then stepped up onto the wooden floor, pushing her feet into the slippers waiting there. She had moved into her new place three days before, leaving the Romanova home as suddenly as she had come to live there.

There was not much furniture in the living area yet, she had not been up to buying any beyond the absolute bare necessities. The one major piece of furniture she did own was a black, baby grand piano that Sylia had given her. Not that she had informed Priss of that at the time. She had discovered Sylia's generous gift by banging up against it in the dark the night before.

She looked around at all the empty space about her. She was going to have to get some furniture. Maybe when the next royalty check from the soundtrack came in. She had already received one. Quite generous really. At least she had managed to get Miako's prints framed and up on the wall. They looked nice enough.

Priss sighed and started walking towards her bathing room. She wanted to take a long shower, maybe get a few hours sleep before heading off to see her agent. She and Miako had been up late, celebrating something or other, and then there was the sex.

Stopping on the way to the bathroom she looked in at the piano that dominated her living room. Entering, she took a seat at the bench and pushed the cover up revealing the keys. She ran through the scales twice to loosen her fingers up then played a few simple tunes. It was relaxing and reminded her of better times. She had learned to play the piano before the quake and the problems it had brought.

Priss finally stopped and put the cover over the keys when the edges of her vision grew blurry.

She stopped before the mirror in the hallway and looked at herself. The whites of her eyes were shot through with red, her hair was a mess. She unzipped her jacket, the white blouse she wore was stained yellow down the front with beer. It had been one of those nights.

Pulling at the buttons roughly Priss walked to the bathroom. She took the blouse off and dropped it in a wicker hamper beside the doorway. She turned the shower on and let it run while she finished undressing.

A minute later she stepped under the hot spray, the water feeling wonderful as it splashed across her.

* * *

Priss was wearing a pair of wayfarers, faded jeans, a black sweater, and a long coat that looked like leather but was not. She walked into her agent's office, took off her sunglasses, and headed right for the secretary's desk.

"Yamamichi-san wants to see me," she told the woman.

"Please wait a moment Asagiri-san," the secretary said, picking up her phone. She tapped one of the buttons on it then waited until it was picked up. "Asagiri-san is here to see you." She listened for a moment then nodded and cradled the phone. "She will see you right now."

"Thanks," Priss said, heading for the door of Keiko's office.

A moment before she got there it opened and Keiko Yamamichi herded a young man from her office. "I'm sure everything will be just fine Taro-kun, we just will have to work at it. Now, why don't you go see Martens-san and I'm sure you can come to an agreement on the club dates. If there are any problems just get in touch with Mari-kun and she will help smooth them out. Ja." She waved and smiled at the young man who was looking a little confused. "Asagiri-san, so nice to see you, please come in." She gently took Priss' arm and led her into her office, then closed the door.

Keiko was shorter than average but had a body builder's figure, her clothing tight on her. She had black hair, cut very short and spiked, her eyes were brown. It was unlikely anyone would call her pretty.

Priss had let her old agent go, knowing he would steal her blind if she let him. It had not mattered before when she was making so little money, but that was changing. She had needed a better, more honest agent, and Keiko had come highly recommended.

"Who was he?" Priss asked as she took a seat.

"Comedian, lot of talent, but tends to upset most of the club owners he works for. Would you like some coffee, or tea, or something?"

"No, I'm fine," Priss said. A few hours of sleep and she was fine. There was not much left to show the previous night's indulgences.

"Okay, well, let's begin. Vision's newest album is doing fairly well." She walked over to her desk and took a seat behind it. "All of the work on it has been well received, including the song covers she did. In fact one of your songs is at about 97 on the top 100 charts in North America. Pretty good for a Japanese song, though I personally don't expect it to go much higher. The Soundtrack sales are also doing very well. Their relationship with the movie has helped a lot. One is at 90 and the other at 83, though I expect both will drop out of the top one hundred in a short time. That seems to be the nature of these things."

"So why did you want to see me?" Priss asked. "I doubt you called me here just to tell me that."

"No, but I like keeping you up on things. There are several other bands that are planning on covering your work, you can expect more royalty checks in the near future."

"My bank will be happy to hear that."

"While that is good we have also had some other interesting offers. Ever heard of "Implosive Connection" or "Daviers 3"?"

"IC is a British group, they are pretty big," Priss said, which was the extent of her knowledge.

"Daviers 3 is a French group, big in Europe but not well known anywhere outside of there. Both these groups want to be the first to record a new song, something you haven't played anywhere. They don't want to do a cover."

"No," Priss said. "I will not write a song and just give it away, no matter how much they might pay. I'll be the first person to do any of my songs."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Okay, your call," Keiko said.

"Anything else?" Priss asked.

"No, that is it I guess. Oh, feel like playing a formal gig? The American Ambassador's daughter is having a 17th birthday party and they want a local band."

"No," Priss got to her feet.

"Your choice of course, but I think it might be fun, and there is the possibility of useful contacts."

"Maybe, but I'll still pass."

* * *

At another time, in another, simpler life, Sylia had loved Manota's. Countless times her Father and Mother had taken her, and later Mackie as well, out to eat there. They had been well known by the owner and staff, But that had been a long time before. The restaurant had been destroyed in the quake, and the owner died with it.

Still, it had been enough of a landmark that someone had built a new one close to the original site and hired many of the original staff. The manager still remembered the Stingray family fondly and both Sylia and Mackie could always count on a table being found for them, as well as excellent and friendly service. Mackie visited more often to flirt with the waitresses.

"Do you miss Tou-san?" Sylia asked as she stared at her menu, trying to decide what to order.

"Pardon?" Mackie looked up from his menu, surprised by the question.

"I was just wondering, what with being here," she told him.

"I don't remember this place very well," he told her. "but yes, I still miss him, and Kaa-san. I don't think I will ever stop missing them."

"Would you like to say something at the banquet then?"

"Yes."

Sylia was going to ask him what that was when they were interrupted by the waitress. They placed their orders and then Mackie got up to go to the washroom and Sylia thought it likely he would spend some time talking to some of the waitresses.

They were halfway through their main courses when Sylia brought up the earlier topic of conversation.

"What will you say at the banquet?" she asked him.

Mackie was silent for a time. He lay his hashi across the rim of his soup bowl and sat back in his chair.

"That I love him, that walking through this city, a city that might still be ruins if not for the boomers, makes me proud that he is my father, that seeing the names of all the wounded and dead officers on the wall of the ADP building makes me angry. That's about all."

"It is more than enough. It says it all."

"What will you say nee-san?"

"Perhaps something similar to what you will say," she smiled at Mackie.

"So is that why you wanted to have this dinner, to get ideas for your speech?" he smiled back at her as he reached for his hashi.

"That and I thought it might be nice to spend some time with my sukebe otouto(younger brother) in a place where he couldn't plant his cameras," she said.

"I don't know what you mean," Mackie told her, feigning innocence.

Their conversation was light and teasing and anyone listening could have easily mistaken them for just another, normal brother and sister.

* * *

Later Sylia sat at the old, scarred desk, leaning back in the chair, looking down at her palmtop computer. Mackie's words had inspired her, given her something to think on, had let her finally sit down and write her speech.

Maybe it was not what Bestar-san had wanted. It was not what Genom would want. It was not even what she had thought she wanted, but it would suffice.

"Save on hard drive as 'speech1', copy to removable as 'speech1', exit, sleep mode," she said. A moment later the screen winked out as the computer went into its rest mode.

It would have been nice to go after Genom in such a public arena. That was not practical. For all she knew about Genom she could only prove, at best, a quarter of it and it was unlikely she would ever live to testify. Or perhaps she would. Genom's lawyers were incredible. When they could they preferred to simply destroy witnesses in the courtroom rather than killing them outright. It preserved the clean public image Genom so desired.

She had come to realise there was very little she could do to hurt Genom. They were just too big. Too powerful. It was not a new thought but now it was coupled with another. Genom itself balanced out the bad they did. She had truly looked at the figures for Genom's charitable donations and had been surprised at how large they really were. While it was part of tax write offs and public relations, that did not change the billions of yen ended up benefiting charitable organisations world wide.

Genom could credit itself with saving thousands, no, tens of thousands each year.

It was a sobering thought. Sylia cared little for it.

She had also realised that it had been some time since she had last challenged Genom directly. The number of boomer incidents had dropped off markedly in the last year. Perhaps Genom had finished working out all the bugs in their product, or maybe they no longer needed to test the boomers any longer.

There were still a few boomer incidents, older models, mostly construction and services units, ones whose owners could not afford to replace or upgrade. Maybe some were arranged, to justify the continued existence of the ADP, and to keep the officers sharp. After all, Sylia thought, the ADP were some of the best-trained boomer combatants in the world. If Genom ever needed someone to help them test a new security boomer, the ADP were the best choice.

And maybe the incidents were just an occasional aberration in an earlier boomer model. Genom held all the cards and it was so hard to tell.

Standing, she picked up her palmtop and walked towards the door. Before leaving she drew the curtains over the family portrait.

* * *

**Tuesday, March 21st, 09:15**

The sight of the musicians when they had come in had let the dancers know that they were about to start something. Since the end of the last performance they had been practising, working on several dance styles and learning from mistakes they had made in the last performance, mistakes that Kikuchi-sensei told them they had made.

For the last half-hour they had been warming up, letting the soft music the musicians were playing influence that they were doing. Andrea had been sitting in the front row, just watching her dancers. Finally she looked over at the musicians and signalled them to stop.

With the music ending the dancers all turned towards Andrea, knowing that things were about to begin. Linna knew she was not alone in looking forward to it.

Andrea got to her feet and looked her dancers over. "Today we start in on our new production. Being of a religious bent," she smiled at them, "I have decided that we're going to do the some interpretations of the tales from the Kojiki and the Nihon shoki, put them together in a nice form. Foley-san."

"Hai Kikuchi-sensei," Miki Foley said, stepping forward.

"Ready to be graceful?"

"Hai sensei!"

"You had better be. To you goes the part of the Sun goddess herself, Amaterasu-Opo-Mikami. I want to be impressed."

"Hai sensei."

"Namura-san."

"Hai!" Mako called out.

"Right eye, the night, Tukuyomi-No-Mikoto. Up to it?"

"Hai sensei."

"Good." Andrea looked at her notes and shook her head. "Yamazaki-san."

"Hai," Linna said, a little surprised. Andrea called out parts in order of their importance.

"I need a warrior for this, so I'm giving you a chance. Storms, Takepaya-Susanowo-No-Mikoto."

Linna was still surprised, but managed to stumble over a, "Hai."

"Now, as for the rest of you," Andrea began, then started giving out the rest of the parts.

* * *

Lunch came late, not that any of the dancers were surprised. They were going to be working very hard for the next few days, getting all the basics down, after that things would calm down a little. Just a little.

Linna was seated with Miki and Mako, a bento(lunch) box in her lap, talking about their parts. The three of them would start things off, and things would keep coming back to the three of them throughout the performance.

"There is a lot of dialogue in this," Linna said as she placed her hashi(chop sticks) across the top of her bento box.

"It's not like a play," Miki told her.

"I know, but the last performance had no words at all."

"Sometimes you just got to talk," Mako said, smiling at Linna.

"Isn't it enough that I have to get all the steps right, now I have to remember these lines." Linna had picked up the pages of the outline that Andrea had given all the dancers and gave them a shake.

"Don't worry," Mako told her, "you'll be fine."

"She just chose me for this because I know how to fight."

"Well, that is what she would say," Miki told her.

"Pardon?" Linna asked.

"She is not the one to come out and tell you that she thinks you're good enough. Kikuchi-sensei is conservative with her praise. The fact she gave you this part means you are good enough for it."

Linna said nothing for a moment, then picked up her hashi and scooped a bit of rice from the bento box. "I hope so," she said before putting the rice into her mouth.

* * *

Linna was feeling very tired when she arrived home. Her muscles were burning a little from overwork, though it was not too bad. She knew that by morning she'd be fine. That would be useful, as morning would be bringing more work.

She was a little amazed at how hard Kikuchi-sensei worked her leads. Linna had not noticed it when she had been dancing one of the junior parts, probably because she felt like she was being worked hard then. How naïve of her.

Kicking her shoes off in the genkan, she stepped up into her apartment and tread across the floor to her kitchen. In the refrigerator she found a bottle of orange juice and the remains of a salad she had made the night before. Good enough, Linna decided, not wanting to deal with anything more complicated.

She ate the salad from the bowl it had been in, taking drinks from the bottle to wash it down, eating it right at the counter. Once finished she put the bowl in the sink, ran warm water into it until it was full, then shifted the tap about so she could rinse out the juice bottle before she put it in the recycling bin.

Dinner finished, she walked into the living room and collapsed on the couch. She just wanted to go to sleep, but it was too early. She shifted about and reached down for a book that Devon had given her. He had presented the battered, old book to her a few days before when they had eaten dinner together. She was beginning to like the old man, more and more. He was such a charming individual.

The book was a collection of photographs and essays relating to dance. Everything from the Russian ballet to kids dancing on street corners. It was interesting and Linna could see how it had led to Devon's love of dance, as a spectator.

As a dancer, Linna found the book a little lacking.

* * *

Tuesday nights in March were not the best time for Shibuya, but even so the area was busy enough. Predominantly it was young people who filled the area; that was standard for Shibuya. The older generation often found the trendy area to be a little confusing.

Akiko and Rebecca sat in a coffee shop, looking out onto the dark streets. Across from them they could see the bronze statue of Hachiko which was a popular meeting place. As a result they were able to watch people easily enough, which was the point. Akiko liked watching people. She liked sitting at a table, in a café, unarmed but for a hot cup of coffee, just watching people go about their lives.

Rebecca liked sitting at the table, drinking lukewarm milk-tea, and watching Akiko. It was interesting, watching the boomer who had spent most of her existence in stasis because she had what amounted to a fatal defect. She was at once an innocent, who could take a thrill watching a couple kiss, and yet she had likely killed more people then even Jasmine.

Thinking of Jasmine reminded her of the others, Hamilton, Tony and Keith. She still missed them, though it was strange. She thought it should hurt more. Then again it might be just like Domino had told her, she was not Rebecca Lin. Rebecca Lin was dead, killed by an assassin, and the person who sat at that table was someone else. Something else.

"Do you think it's true Becky-chan?"

"Pardon?" Rebecca looked up at Akiko.

"Do you think that story is true, about Hachiko-chan?"

Rebecca turned to look out the windows, towards the bronze statue of the dog. "It could be. A dog could be that loyal, refusing to accept its master is dead, waiting day after day for their master to come home. Yes, it probably is true."

"A boomer can be that loyal."

"What?"

"A boomer can be that loyal, refusing to stop serving even if their master was dead."

"Is that a strength or a weakness?"

Akiko took a drink of her coffee then lowered the cup. "What do you think?"

Rebecca was a little taken aback by the question. "I don't know. What if loyalty is misplaced?"

"I'm not sure that matters. You have to believe in something. I believe in Domino-sama."

"Maybe that is only because she has given you what you really want. It's easy to be loyal to someone like that. Even when you know better."

"I don't think it is ever easy to be loyal. To be truly loyal. It's easy to say you are, but until you have been tested, until," Akiko looked over at the statue of Hachiko, "until you have waited for ten years, your whole life, you cannot truly say you are loyal."

"So until you've been tested you don't know who you are?"

Akiko thought about that, then nodded.

"Have you been tested Kiki-san?"

"No."

"But you want to be tested?"

Akiko nodded. "I want to know who I am before I die." She smiled sadly. "I don't have much time do I?"

"Don't talk like that," Rebecca said angrily. "You are too morbid."

"It is only the truth. I accepted..." Akiko began, but stopped suddenly. The coffee cup in her left hand began to shake. She stared at her hand, as if trying to force it to stop, but it kept shaking. Coffee began to splash over the rim, raining down on the white tablecloth. She reached out with her other hand, grasped the cup which she forced down onto the tabletop.

Taking her fingers from the cup she moved her hand into her lap where she could hide it, and hold it tight. A twitch began by her left eye and her entire arm began to tremble so much that it shook her whole body.

Rebecca watched. It was not the first such seizure she had seen, and not even close to the worse. She knew there was nothing she could do to help, but sitting there, just watching, always made her feel terrible. She just wanted Akiko to be fine.

After almost a minute the tremors stopped. Akiko carefully lifted her left hand and flexed her fingers, just making sure that it was indeed over.

"Let's go to Seibu Becky-chan," Akiko said, reaching into her purse for her debit card. "I want to buy that new backpack I was looking at, and maybe a new stuffed animal for my bed."

"Hai Kiki-san," Rebecca said, happy enough that they were going to ignore the problem. It was not as if they could do anything.

Akiko stopped at the cashier and ran her debit card through the reader, paying for their drinks. The price was ludicrous of course, but Akiko was not surprised. It was Shibuya after all.

The two of them stepped out into the cool air, pulling their jackets closer to them as they walked to the crosswalk. When the lights changed they ran across the street, then followed the sidewalk to one of the entrances to the enormous Seibu department store.

They could have been sisters, out for a little fun. At the moment that was how they both felt.

* * *

**Wednesday, March 22nd, 11:13**

The back of an AD Police communications APC was, Nene was surprised to note, rather nice. It was private, there was lots of room and it did not move much when the people inside did.

Kaoru was seated upon one of the chairs, Nene was seated sideways upon his lap. She had both her arms around his neck. He had one hand on her back and the other had started on her right knee.

The kissing, which had started out rather light, had progressively grown heavier. Kaoru was feeling a little overwhelmed. The scent of Nene's shampoo in her hair, the floral cologne she wore with the underlying hint of talcum powder, the way she felt, it was almost maddening.

Nene herself was feeling similar. Everything about Kaoru was making her feel very, very aroused.

Kaoru had slid his hand up Nene's leg, until it was resting between her legs. Nene had not stopped him, just had kissed him harder. His fingers were gently tracing over the damp cotton of her panties, the lightest of touches. Nene was moaning quietly as she kissed Kaoru, not quite sure what was happening, but liking it.

Kaoru started to increase his pressure with his fingers, his touch no longer so light.

That was when Nene tensed, closing her legs.

Kaoru quickly put his hand back on her knee, realising he had just tried to go farther than he should have.

Nene suddenly felt very childish. What did she think was going to happen? "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be sorry," he told her, putting both arms around her, pulling her tight against him. "Let this go as fast as you want. I can wait." That was true enough, but Kaoru was wishing that Nene had not stopped it. He really was hoping for things to go farther. Still, better things go slow than not at all. And he certainly enjoyed what he and Nene could do.

"You're so nice," Nene said, kissing him.

"I try my best," he told her, kissing her back.

* * *

It was nearly noon when Nene returned to her office space. She had said goodbye to Kaoru a few minutes before, agreeing to a dinner date with him later. She sat down at her desk and looked things over. Leon had not left her any messages, so she had no new work.

Well, that was not entirely true. If she had no other work to do then Leon wanted her to just look into things, to find out what she could discover. Well, Nene thought as she got to her feet, she could do that, and combine it with other things.

As Nene grabbed her purse she thought about how much she liked working for Leon. Before, when she was working with communications, she had to sneak around a lot. With Leon, she just made sure all her work was done, then disappeared. As long as things got done Leon did not mind.

A short time later Nene was in her tiny police car, heading out to Akihabara.

* * *

Priss leaned up against a wall, watching the crowd of people wander by. She had spent some of the morning wandering about various stores, asking questions about computer systems. Nene had suggested that she do so, to get a feel for what she might want. It made sense, mostly.

"Priss-san," she heard Nene call.

Priss turned towards the voice. Nene was walking through the crowd, wearing her ADP uniform, waving at Priss. Priss pushed off the wall, taking a few steps towards the other woman. A moment later Nene was standing close to her.

"Good afternoon," Nene said brightly.

Priss nodded. "Thanks for coming."

"I'm always willing to help with this sort of stuff," Nene said. "Come on."

"Shouldn't you be working?" Priss asked, just to make conversation.

"I am," Nene said. "I'm looking into illegally recycled boomer parts."

Priss smiled slightly, wondering if that was the truth or just a way for Nene to justify what she was doing. Well, it did not really matter. It was Nene's job, and one she was leaving soon.

Nene led her off the main street, into the many small streets that made up the Electric Town.

"Have you decided what you want?" Nene asked.

"I've got an idea," Priss said as she pulled a small note pad from her jacket pocket. She flipped through several pages until she came to the one she wanted then tore that one out and handed it to Nene.

Nene slowed her walking as she read over the information there. "This is no problem. I know a specialist place that can give us a good deal on the microphones and some of the other recording gear. We'll work on the main system now."

"In this one case, you are the expert," Priss said, putting her hands behind her head as she walked.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Either that or a statement on your sad life."

"You are so kind," Nene said sarcastically.

"I try."

Nene shook her head and continued on towards where Johnson's shop was. As usual it looked like the place was out of business, and the door stuck, forcing her to give it a good yank before it opened.

She stepped in, moving towards the counter.

Priss had stepped inside but stopped on the threshold of the shop, looking about. The place did not look much like the computer stores she had already been in. There were no shiny, new systems sitting out on display shelves, no racks of cables and printer cartridges, just boxes staked on boxes and faded posters for pornographic computer games.

Priss stepped forward and let the door close behind her. It might not look like much, but Priss recognised the feel of the store. She had felt it in places where musical instruments were built and repaired, and places where motorcycles were tweaked and tuned for greater performance.

"'lo Romanova-san," Johnson said from behind the counter. He was looking down at the circuit board he was working with. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Priss-san, she's looking for a computer system."

"Skater?"

"No," Nene told him.

He looked up at Nene, then over at Priss. "What are you looking for?"

Priss stepped forward. "I'm setting up a recording studio. I want to record everything on digital format, be able to work with it, multi-track kind of stuff."

"So storage space and processing power are the big deal, memory as well just so you can get everything running at the same time."

"Why processing power?"

"You can never have too much processing power," he told her. "And a lot of the better software for this sort of stuff wants your computer to be fast."

"Maybe we should go for more than one processor," Nene said. "That way you could have a processor dedicated to each task."

"Yeah, that could work," Johnson said.

"What do you have that might work?" Nene asked him. Priss moved to the side, willing to let Nene take over for this part. It was why she had asked her for help in the beginning.

"I got the standard stuff, but you would not be here if you wanted standard. I got a bunch of CPUs that were pulled off a US sub. Nice stuff."

"Why do you have them?" Nene asked.

"Uncontrolled military spending. They chuck perfectly good stuff. I have a contact who gets it for me."

"Have you tweaked them yet?"

He nodded. "Increased the clock speed, they'll need a special cooling system of course."

"Of course. What else?"

"I have a handful of prototypes of the next generation processors out of Chiba, don't ask how."

"I would like to know," Nene told him. "Okay, how reliable are they?"

"Pretty reliable."

"Pretty?"

"They are still prototypes."

"Can I get two of the sub ones, and two of the prototypes and one of those old Raven Eights you keep around?"

"Oh, that is very good," Johnson said, nodding.

"What is?" Priss asked, deciding she had to ask a few questions.

"Romanova here is going to set you up with four processors in your machine, which will give you all the power you need. The thing is she is putting in a fifth to monitor the two prototypes, just to fix things if they screw up. It will keep your operation smooth."

Priss nodded, fairly certain she understood what he was speaking about.

"Okay," Johnson said. "I can set you up with a smart-board that will handle what you need. Now for storage I have two hard drives I got from NASA, their big ones."

"Space probe quality?"

"Yes," he told her, smiling. "They came from the cancelled solar probe, so they'll be tough."

"You have two?"

"Yes."

"I'll take them both."

"This machine will not need that much storage space."

"One is for me."

"Of course."

"Let's talk memory," Nene told him.

And so it went. Priss kept up with the conversation for the most part, but had to ask questions occasionally to keep everything straight.

"Do you want to do any visual work?" Johnson asked Priss after he and Nene had finished planning out the core system.

"I did not give it any thought," Priss told him.

"I've got some software from ILM and Pixar that is very nice. Your system will handle it well."

"How legal is this software?" Nene asked suspiciously.

"Don't take it into North America," he told her.

"That kind of legal. Oh well."

Priss thought about the offer. "I'll take it."

"Good choice. Are you going to need to set up sub-systems?"

"You are," Nene told her.

"She's the expert."

"How many?" Johnson asked Nene.

"I think six will handle everything."

"I got some cheap boxes I can give you for it. They are nothing much, but they'll just be slaves to the main unit anyway, right?"

Nene nodded.

"I think we got everything then."

"I think so. Priss-san?"

"Sounds like you covered everything," Priss told her.

"I can have this all put together for you by tomorrow night. Want it delivered?"

"That would be great," Priss told him, reaching into her jacket. "This has my address on it," she explained, handing him one of her visiting cards.

He took it, looked it over, and then placed it down on the counter in front of him. "It won't be a problem. Now, Romanova-san, I got something you've been waiting for."

"What?" Then Nene's eyes widened. "You got me those Israelis!"

"I promised you I would."

"I was getting worried."

"Sometimes I may be slow, but I always deliver." He turned on his chair and opened one on the locked cabinets behind him. A minute later he placed an aluminium sided briefcase on the counter."

Nene stepped forward and opened the case. Inside, resting within custom cut foam blocks, were two of the Israeli G-33 motherboards. "Oh my," Nene said.

Priss moved up looking over Nene's shoulder. She did not see anything special, but assumed from the way Nene was acting that she should be impressed. "Something special I take it."

"Yes, very much so," Johnson said.

"The original design comes from America," Nene said. "They called them Enigma Boards, built them for code cracking. Each one has one hundred and forty four tiny sub-processors; linked parallel, able to do a huge amount of mathematical calculations. Still takes a long time to break the code, but they say once you put one of these things on it, it is only a matter of time."

"Of course that time might be a few decades," Johnson added.

"With a hot operator making the right moves, it could be done in days, maybe hours."

"You said they were Israelis?"

"The design was sold to Canada, they altered it and put it in their jet fighters, controlled all their fire and forget missiles, took care of ECM and ECCM, and stuff like that. They used all the processors to improve the craft's performance.

"Israel got their hands on the Canadian design, probably stole it, and reworked it back to a code breaker."

"And they are easier to get than either the American or Canadian versions," Johnson added. "Not that easy though, which brings up an unpleasant topic."

Nene closed the briefcase and reached into her purse, brining out her debit card. "Same price we agreed on?" she asked as she ran the card through the reader on the counter.

"Have I ever raised the price after the fact?"

"No, and that is why I love you," Nene said, smiling as she punched in the authorisation code.

* * *

Nene was anxious for the workday to end. She filled out a report on illegal recycling of boomer parts-Johnson being an illegal recycler himself knew a lot about what was going on and was not adverse to giving her the names of idiots-and tried to keep busy, but she just wanted to get home, to her computer. She had even cancelled her dinner date with Kaoru. Dinner, kissing and heavy petting might be fun, but her computer came first.

When the day ended she rushed out of the ADP building, not even taking time to say goodnight to anyone.

Arriving at home she had told her father she would be skipping dinner, and then ran up to her room.

Once inside she closed and locked the door, actually locked it. Probably the first time she had used that lock since coming to live in that house. She wanted privacy, undisturbed privacy. She had work to do.

"Hello Neko," Nene called out to the cat lying on her bed. She tossed to the briefcase with the motherboards onto her bed, near the cat. Neko did not even flinch. Nene smiled as she grabbed the cat up in her hands and spun about. "I've finally got it," she said to her cat. The cat's only response was a 'meow'.

Nene smiled and moved to her bookshelf. "Stay up here," she told the cat as she placed it on the top of the shelf. Neko yawned then laid down, staring down at Nene with unabashed curiosity.

That done, Nene began to strip off her clothing until she was only in her panties, then put on a chemise-slip. It was one way to decrease the possibility of static electricity causing damage, and the work always made her feel overly warm.

Nene crossed the room to her desk and took a seat at her keyboard. Her fingers tapped keys, first entering the various access codes and passwords-which included a voice printthen bringing up the operations menus. She reached out and tapped the screen, right over the 'shutdown' button.

For a moment nothing happened, then the computer asked, 'are you certain?' Nene tapped the screen again, 'yes'. Then the screen went blank for a moment, then, on black screen, white letters wrote out, 'Please Enter Shut Down Code'. Nene did so.

There were two other shut down codes afterwards, an emergency power shut down and a final code that backed up everything new since the last back up onto the back up mem-cards. Finally Nene took a key from her desk drawer and pushed it into a lock in the computer tower. With a turn of the key the computer shut down.

It was the first time since she had moved into the house that the computer was completely shut down. The silence in the room seemed odd, almost ominous. Nene shook her head at such thoughts and got to her feet, walking to her closet.

Within the closet, along with clothing, bags, and boxes, were a large number of aluminium sided briefcases. Quite a few of them. She began bringing them out and placing them on the bed, a number of the boxes she carelessly tossed in the general direction of her computer. There were a few more of the briefcases under the bed as well. Once all of them were up on her bed Nene went back to her closet, removing a tool kit and a grounding box.

She placed the tool kit by her computer and then took the grounding box over to one of the rooms wall sockets and plugged it in. There was a long grounding ribbon attached to the box, meant to be looped around the wrist, but Nene fastened it around her ankle instead. She did not like anything interfering with her hands when she worked.

Ready, she walked over to her desk, knelt down, and began removing the cables from the main tower. Once it was free, she pulled the tower out from under the desk and went to work.

Not long afterwards she had the casing open and was beginning to remove some of the components. Each one either was carefully placed to the side, or wrapped in blue plastic and packed away in one of the boxes. Most of the various parts ended up in boxes.

Finally she had cleaned out a space for the new systemshe was going to keep her old system there as a local network server, for multitasking and as a backup system. Nene got to her feet, sighed, and then went to her bed and grasped the briefcase she had received earlier that day.

She went back to the computer and knelt down, opening the briefcase. From her tool kit she pulled an anti-static pad and laid it on the carpet. She then carefully removed one of the new motherboards from the protective foam and placed it on the pad.

That done, Nene carefully removed three of the sub-processors, cutting them free and putting them to the side. From the few things she had set aside earlier Nene picked out her two, boomer AI chips. With a cold bonder and a lot of care she bonded them into the motherboard, slaving the sub-processors to the more powerful AI chips.

The third spot she filled with a Raven Eight processor. While hopelessly slow compared to modern processors, Johnson had taught her that they were one of the most stable processors in existence. He had taught Nene to use them to monitor other parts of the system.

While such work would have been impossible twenty years ago, the smart-boards had been designed for such mix and matching work. An attempt to stave off obsolescence for as long as possible.

Nene looked her work over, checking it with a palmtop, then carefully placed it into her tower, setting it right before clamping it in place. She sat back and wiped a little perspiration from her forehead. That was the basics taken care of.

She took another case from her bed then returned to the computer. In the case were the tubes that formed the cooling net. She began to carefully wrap the AI chips with the tubing, as well as making sure it came into contact with the sub-processors. Once she had the computer running, coolant would be run through the net to keep everything from overheating.

A necessary precaution as the system had the potential to run very hot. Nene had never had a computer melt-down on her, and was hoping to avoid such a thing.

The rest of the work just took time, offering her few problems. She had to lay down the core tracks on the NASA hard-drive, as it was completely blank. A minor inconvenience for the huge amount of storage space she was getting, and the hardiness of the system.

She had been collecting the parts to build her system, her katana, for some time. Everything was cutting edge. She had just been waiting for the motherboard with which to put it all together.

Four hours after starting Nene was finished, and she had to go to the bathroom. She put on a robe and took a break long enough to relieve herself and get something to drink, then she was back in her room.

Her room was a bit of a mess, with empty briefcases scattered about, as well as various wrapping media. She'd clean it up later.

Nene went back to her computer and hooked the cooling unit up to the tubes. It was a simple set up, but it worked. She just had to fill the unit with a cooling medium. She used baby oil, Johnson used vodka, she thought Sylia's main computer used some synthetic coolant. They all did the same thing, however.

She started the unit running, letting it purge the tubes of air and begin to cool the oil down. While that was happening Nene plugged her various peripherals back into the computer. Once done she began to bring the system to life, for the first time.

Her primary monitor began to flicker, after a moment information began to scroll across it. Nene picked up a good luck charm and held it tight as she watched. "Oh Pasocon-sama, be kind to your favoured miko," she said softly, her eyes focused on the screen.

She held her breath during the pauses, she let it out when the information began to once again flow across the screen, she smiled when everything was as it should be. And finally the initial boot-up was complete. Everything looked good.

Nene pulled her chair up and took a seat, pulling the keyboard from the desk and putting it across her knees. She did not take her eyes from the screen as she typed, pulling information off the mem-cards, rebuilding the software side of her computer.

She reached down for a box of mini MMSDs. She began to slot the small cards into the reader; a rod shaped device on her desk. As each one was pushed home, the information on it was read. Once all were slotted in she turned back to her keyboard and began installing the new software.

She was putting things on the new machine that her old machine could not have run, home brewed programs she had written to her own specifications. It was going to be a very hot machine.

A smile crept onto Nene's face as she worked.

* * *

**Cultural Notes**: What follows is a very abbreviated explanation of Japan's creation legend. If you wish a more detailed explanation I suggest that you read the Kojiki.

The two deities, Izanagi and Izanami are sent to solidify the lands, which they did, creating the island of Onogoro, where they brought forth the many Kami. Izanami eventually dies when she gives birth to the god of fire.

Izanagi goes down into the land of the dead (Yomi) to meet his spouse, Izanami. When he sees her rotting corpse. He freaks and leaves Yomi, with Izanami following. He blocks off the way into the land of the dead with a boulder.

Izanami, very angry, tells Izanagi that she will kill one thousand people every day in his lands. Izanagi replies with that he will ensure one thousand five hundred people are born each day.

That done, Izanagi goes to purify himself in the river (Tati-Bana?) where during his purification rituals he gives birth to, creates, a number of other Kami. The last and three most noble were Amaterasu Opo Mikami (Sun goddess) from his left eye; Tukuyomi No Mikoto (god of Night/Moon) from his right eye; and from his nose Takepaya Susanowo No Mikoto (god of the ocean/storm.

Susano, not happy with his Divine Trust weeps and howls until Izanagi comes and ask him what is wrong. Susano tells him that he wants to go to the land of his mother, Nenokata Sukuni. Izanagi becomes enraged and banishes Susano. Susano refuses to accept his banishment and goes to see his sister, Amaterasu.

Amaterasu and Susano have a child bearing/creating contest which entails chewing up each other's raiment and spitting it out. At the end Susano has obtained female offspring and claims victory. He rages with victory, destroying the ridges between rice paddies, defecating in the halls and other things. Amaterasu refuses to act and would not reprove him.

Then he flayed a horse and threw it into Amaterasu's room. This was too much for the sun goddess who goes and shuts herself in a cave, plunging the world into darkness.

The rest of the Kami get together and throw a celebration and trick Amaterasu out of the cave, which they then seal off the cave with a siri-kume rope. Then they expel Susano from the lands and he goes off to slay monsters elsewhere and Amaterasu helps to found the Japanese Empire.

**Speed Alarms** - In a number of Japanese cars are beepers that go off if the car is taken above 80km/h, sometimes 100km/h. They are basically an annoying safety feature. As most roads in Japan are limited to 50km/h and the expressways at 80km/h the alarm limits are set at a decent level.

Of note is that you can do about 80km'h on the roads marked 50 without too much worry about police, though on those curvy, mountain roads, you had better be a decent driver if you are going to drive over 50. On the expressways you can hit about 120 without any major worries. But that was just me. I take no responsibility for any traffic tickets you receive.

**Tech Notes**: Priss's car is a restored Ford Shelby Cobra 427, designed by Carroll Shelby to defeat the Ferraris in the 1965 FIA Championship. Carroll Shelby would recognise the car on the outside, but once he got behind the wheel he would notice a large number of differences.  
Being lighter gives it a boost in both top speed and acceleration. The car is still somewhat ungainly when it comes to quick changes of direction, but Gibson did manage to make some improvement in that area as well.

How the car ended up in the factory is a bit of a mystery. Its last, registered owner was a Japanese man in Aomori who died in 2024. The car was not part of his estate at that point. Before that it was owned by a Chinese man in Hong Kong. That owner had actually built the car from the wrecks of 2 Cobra 427s. One of those wrecks came from Chicago in the late part of the previous century and was reputed to have been part of the Chicago PD.

Priss' car has no special features, beyond those mentioned above and a really nice stereo.

**Restored Cobra 427**  
Handling: 3/8  
Speed: 230  
Acceleration: 12  
Body: 4  
Amour: 0  
Signature: 3  
Autonav: 0  
Pilot: -  
Sensor: -  
Cargo: 6 Load: 50

Seating: 2 bucket seats Cost: NA

_"Smoke and mist are like looking at a spring mountain. After the rain is like viewing a clear day. There is a weakness in perfect clarity"_  
-**Japanese Proverb**


	27. Fearful Symmetry 2

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (2 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

"You look confused," Domino said to Haruko. They sat in Domino's private office, one on each side of Domino's desk. In front of them were their NAVIs, papers, and a laptop computer hooked up to Domino's desktop system.

"I thought we were supposed to make Genom larger. We handle corporate acquisitions."

"We also handle the ultimate disposition of those acquisitions. In this case we are getting rid of some."

"Why?"

"There are a few reasons. When we took over Donaldson Incorporated we acquired a holding company called Kinkade Resources."

Haruko nodded. "I remember. That was how we got that MRAStech stock."

"Correct. Kinkade Resources held a number of other companies, including Victoria Broadcasting. Victoria Broadcasting is the fourth largest producer of media content in Australia."

"Isn't that of use?"

"Not really. It could be, but there is a problem. VB owns Sunset Pictures. Sunset Pictures is the largest producer of pornography in Australia."

"Pardon?"

"They actually do very good work, high quality I suppose you could call it."

Haruko looked at Domino for a moment, then let out a small giggle. Domino turned to look at her and smiled slightly. She remembered she did not want to be friends with the woman, with anyone she worked with, but that seemed harder to manage than she had hoped. "Well, high quality or not, we do not need it."

"Why not just sell of Sunset Pictures and keep the rest?"

"Its part of the grooming necessary."

"Grooming?"

"Yes. Picture Genom as if it was a tree, a carefully manicured tree, formed in a perfect globe around the main trunk. Mind you, this is not a perfect metaphor nor does it hold true for other aspects."

Haruko nodded.

"Now, the branches of this tree are covered in thorns, so trying to do damage to the branches or the trunk is very difficult. It is near perfectly defended. The tree grows though, and some branches begin to extend beyond the rest, alone.

"It would be possible to grasp one of these stray branches, carefully so as to avoid the thorns, and by pulling, tear it free, perhaps doing damage to the main trunk as well. Like gardeners we snip that branch off, cutting it back."

"What if the end of that branch were important?"

"We have other options of course. One of which is to cover it with more thorns, making getting a safe grip on it more difficult. We can then weave it back into the main body of the tree."

"I see, I guess."

"It will make sense in time."

"So we are going to snip Victoria Broadcasting free?"

"That is the plan."

"So do we just sell it off?"

"What do you think?" Domino asked her, leaning back in her chair.

Haruko was a little taken aback by that question. It was as if she suddenly given much more responsibility. She though about if for a moment. "Well, I guess we should move our own people into the positions of power, then sell it all off in pieces, its worth more that way, right?"

Domino nodded. "We are a little like a corporate chop shop in that manner, and normally that would be the best way to do it."

"What is the best way in this case?" Haruko asked.

"As I mentioned, Victoria Broadcasting is the fourth largest media producer. The first is the Australian Broadcasting Service, the second is the Australian Television Network and the third the Sydney Television Service."

Domino paused and looked to Haruko to make sure she was following. Haruko nodded, showing she understood.

"Currently ATN and STS are competing fiercely for market share. If one manages to actually win, the resulting company could be a threat to ABS."

"So we help one by selling them Victoria Broadcasting?"

"Yes. STS I would think. They actually have some stock to offer in trade that we could make use of. Once they have control of VB the tensions between them and ATN should heat up. That will make ABS very nervous."

Haruko said nothing for a moment, thinking over that Domino had said. "Do you mean to take advantage of that by helping ABS?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe it," Haruko said, smiling. "It is so elegant."

"Some might call it diabolical."

Haruko shook her head. "I don't think so."

"I'm glad. You will be handling this aspect of the job."

"Me?"

"Yes. You are up to it."

"But..."

"You are up to this," Domino interrupted, rudely. "I would not put you in charge of this if I did not think you could do it. I don't set people up to fail Tetsu-kun."

"Hai Odotte-sama!"

Domino smiled. "Good. Now I'll give you all the help you need, if you need it. You will not be alone. This is an important deal, but not terribly important. It is a good job for you."

Haruko nodded. "Thank you for your trust in me."

"You have earned it. Now, we still have other work to take care of. Do you have that report on MRAStech I asked you to prepare."

"Hai," Haruko said as she shifted through a pile of paper in front of her.

* * *

Domino and Haruko finished up late. Domino sent the office lady home a little after ten. After Haruko had left Domino put a few things in order and then left her own office. She did not leave the Tower though, instead she went to the executive lounge.

It was almost empty. Two junior executives, Seiji Amazawa and Hiroshi Nagame, were seated at a table near the back, talking softly. Domino knew that Seiji worked for Katherine Madigan, one of her site security specialists. Hiroshi was attached to the R&D section. Interesting to see them together, but it was not something she had to worry about.

Anyone working for Madigan was bound to be loyal to Genom, and Hiroshi was an almost no one when it came to things of importance. Either it was a friendly chat, or Seiji was making sure that Hiroshi was not up to anything he should not be.

Domino had seen it before.

"Good evening Odotte-sama," the barman, a woman named Mikari Yoshida, said to Domino.

"Evening," Domino said as she took a seat at the bar. "I'd like some shouchuu with pink lemonade."

Much to the woman's credit she did not say anything about the odd order. She took a tall glass from beneath the bar, placed it in front of Domino, then produced a bottle of the 'Japanese whisky' and poured some into the glass, waiting for Domino to indicate that she should stop. Domino held up her hand after she had poured about two ounces into the glass.

Mikari placed the bottle down and then went to one of the refrigerators, opened it and began to look through it. After a few seconds she produced a can of pink lemonadethe executive lounge was well stocked. She poured the lemonade into the glass, then used a straw to mix it. "Here you are," she said, putting the drink in front of Domino.

"Thanks," Domino said as she picked up the glass and took a sip.

"Would you like fresh pink lemonade to be kept here?" Mikari asked her.

"Yes, that would be a good idea," Domino told her.

She nodded then went off to make a note of it.

Domino smiled as she took another sip of her drink. The Executive Lounge pampered the upper executives as much as they might want. A small perk of the job. Pink lemonade and shouchuu was something Domino had been introduced to by one of her one-night stands. She enjoyed and thought it might be the perfect drink on a hot summer's day, with a pitcher of it by her side, or perhaps while soaking in an onsen.

It was not a very mature drink, but Domino was fairly certain she could get away with it. After all, everyone had his or her own little foibles.

She had not come to the lounge to drink though. She had come there to think in some place other than her office.

The events with Knight-hakase, then with Rathen, and most recently the attempt to steal Andrews-hakase from Genom. They had to be connected, Andrews-hakase had said as much, but what he had told her did not answer all of her questions. It did not even come close.

He had fallen in with some anti-Genom people he had heard of when he had been working for Largo; he had gone to them for protection. It was an acceptable answer, one that Domino could understand.

He, Andrews, had helped them cut some boomers free of the OMS with minimal loss in function. He had given them information on Genom, and when the time had come he had been willing to defect, in essence, because he was afraid of what Genom might do to him if he was found out.

All believable. So why was Domino sure that it was more complicated than that?

Andrews' information, while useful, had ended in dead-ends. Names like Lecoix, people already dead. It was of little use.

Part of her was sure that Andrews had told her all he knew, certain he could not lie to her. What if he had though? Part of Domino thought about torturing him, truly hurting him, breaking him and killing him to get all that she wanted. She might have, Quincy would let her, but for the fact she thought she wanted him hurt, wanted him dead, for personal reasons.

He had had a part in her creation. The thought that she might kill him was a heady one. How many humans had wanted to kill their creators, had said 'God is dead' in a desperate hope that it was true? Domino had an advantage that they did not. Her creators were corporeal beings.

She could kill Andrews easily enough. The Third Generation design team would be a little more difficult, but not beyond her abilities. Stingray was already dead. The entire thought process appealed to her, for a moment, then it was gone. She shook her head and smiled.

Domino had been sitting in the lounge for some time. Seiji and Hiroshi had left, Mikari had been relieved by Kentaro Ichinosei, and Domino had sat there, nursing several drinks over that time.

"It's getting late, isn't it Odotte-sama," Kentaro said softly, so softly that Domino could have politely ignored him, which was the point.

"A little," Domino said, picking up her glass and finishing off the last of the pink lemonade and shouchuu.

"Another?" he asked her, reaching for a fresh glass.

"No," she shook her head and got off the stool, acting as if she was a little unsteady on her feet. She had been drinking, and it was late. "I think I'll be going now. Oyasumi(goodnight)."

"Have a good evening Odotte-sama," Kentaro said formally, bowing.

Domino nodded, then turned and walked towards the exit. She did have a meeting early in the morning, and a little sleep would probably be in order.

For a moment she thought of going back to her condo, but decided it was too far. Instead she took the elevator down a few levels to where her Tower apartment was. It was not much, a windowless box made up of three rooms. It was not meant to be much though. It was just a place to sleep, and perhaps keep a few changes of clothing.

* * *

**Thursday March 23rd, 5:13am**

Nene rubbed at her eyes then reached for the box of donuts by her knee. It was empty. She was a little bothered by the fact she could not remember eating them all and wished she had been able to take more time to savour the last one.

At her feet Neko meowed for attention. Nene reached down and gave it a scratch between the ears. Neko seemed to enjoy it, though Nene had no idea if it really did.

She leaned back in her chair, letting the keyboard slide from the top of her knees down into her lap. She reached up and massaged the back of her neck. She looked at the clock in the corner of her computer screen, not quite believing it.

After she had finished putting her new computer together she had of course wanted to test it and Sylia had wanted more information about what was going on in Genom. It had made her course of action pretty clear.

Her new computer performed wonderfully, better than she had hoped really. All that processing power, it gave her an incredible amount of speed. Still, she had not tried to penetrate the most secure areas of the Genom computer core. She was almost certain that she could do it, but Genom was not like any other target.

Nene had contented herself with staying mostly on the periphery of the system. There was a lot of useful information to be found there, a lot could be learned if one looked at it the right way. Looking at it the right way was something that Sylia had taught her to do, and something Nene had become quite adept at.

She had lists of equipment requests, personnel transfers, funding patterns, and more. Put together and they told her things. Genom had recently been putting more resources into internal security and restructuring, if Nene was reading things right. A threat, from the inside, or from a person or organisation outside that understood how Genom operated, was a likely reason.

It was hard to say when it started, but it had been increasing since the night Prometheus Bound had launched their attack. It looked as if Genom was trying to locate whomever had provided the backing for that. Part of it traced to G&B, which probably explained part of the company's fate.

Nene yawned again as she saved and encrypted some files, deleted some others and basically cleaned everything up. She was going to have to be at work soon. Sleep would be nice, but she thought there was a good chance that if she went to bed now she would not be able to get up later.

She picked up a cup and swished the tepid coffee in about before drinking it. It tasted horrible, but likely because of that it woke her up a little more.

Nene tapped a few keys then shifted her chair about to look at one of the secondary screens. On it was being displayed an interpretative log of her intrusion into Genom's computer system.

When Nene had been eight she had first been introduced to the Gibsonesque world of hacking. Since that day she had desperately wanted to jack directly into the world of the computer. Man/Machine interfaces had appeared but they had either offered no real benefit, or they had been very dangerouslike the MFS system Gibson had used to control his Griffon.

She kept up with the field of research, hoping that someone would finally get it right. A research team in Bangkokfunded by Genomwas reporting promising results. Nene had her fingers crossedfiguratively.

Still, she knew it would be at least a few years before she could hope to have such an interface system implanted. As a stopgap measure, for her own entertainment, she had created a simulation program. It took the log of her activities and created a representation of what Nene thought things would be like if she ever were to jack directly into the system.

On the screen she watched as her icon began the run. Nene had constructed the computer representation of herself to look exactly like herself. Well, maybe the icon was a little taller and her chest a little bigger, but just a little. There were also the very cute tiger earsshe was so glad the year had changedon her head, and the very un-cute claws she sported from her fingertips.

Nene watched as the icon slid through the three perimeter walls of the Genom system. The first was a hard, the second harder than the first and the third fairly easy. A beginner mistake would be to assume that it was smooth sailing after the third wall, which is no doubt what Genom wanted people to think.

Beyond the third wall was what Nene had dubbed rover space. It was filled with white globes, each moving about, approaching anything in the area to examine it. Of course that was just how Nene pictured it. It was all just code really.

Her computer self whispered the right codes to each of the rovers, and when that did not work simply destroyed them. The rovers were an effective system. They drifted into each other, exchanging information, getting better at uncovering unlawful entries each time. It made it a bit of a task to get through rover space. Not beyond Nene though.

She watched as her other self approached the thorn wall, a very effective barrier. Not easy to get though at all. Her other self made a series of hand gestures, her claws leaving trails of light in their wake. Then she spoke the words of power and a passageway began to form through the thorn wall. A password, one Sylia had given her.

Nene might have cut her way though if she had to, but that might have been noisy.

She watched for a few more minutes as her other self moved through the corridors of the data structure, searching out the things she wanted. Occasionally she would remove a piece of paper from within her clothes and fold it into some origami creation or another, then leave it to watch the area.

Nene was particularly proud of that effect. It looked really nice, especially when the origami animals came to life.

She watched for a few more minutes but finally shut it down, and then she put her computer into sleep mode. She got up from her chair and then pushed it back before settling down, seiza style, in front of her computer. She pulled Neko into her lap and began to stroke its fur.

Sitting on top of the tower was a miniature hamaya, a wooden plaque with a tiger painted on it tied to the arrow. She had picked up the evil destroying arrow when she had visited the shrines on New Years. There were also two good luck charms hanging from the main tower, one for the Meiji Shrine and one from the Ise-Jingu Grand Shrine. Both had bells on them and Nene reached out to make them ring. Tied to the modem cable was a charm for safe travel and one for easy delivery.

Nene smiled, making the bells ring again. Her computer, she thought, was a little like a Shinto shrine. The true item of power was hidden away, only to be viewed by those who had ritually prepared themselves, for the power was dangerous. Yes, she liked the image.

Her whimsical thoughts were interrupted by another yawn. "My apologoes, o pasocon-sama," Nene said as she got to her feet, letting Neko drop to the floor. "I'm going to take a shower. Goodnight."

* * *

No one in the meeting room looked happy to be involved in an early morning meeting, which was exactly why Domino had called it. Since Quincy had dropped the problem into her lap, no doubt with a small amount of amusement, she had been dealing with it and the people involved for a few days now. It was one of the reasons she had increased Haruko's area of responsibility.

She was not really angry, but that such a minor and ultimately unimportant project was beginning to affect her other work was annoying. She had decided to put an end to it.

She smiled at all of them as she took her seat at the head of the conference table. Domino was not so much a morning person as she was an 'any time of the day' person. None of those sitting at the table were so blessed.

"I've read your proposals, listened to your plans and considered all the information you have given me over the last few days," she told them, still smiling.

"And have you reached a decision Odotte-san?" Shingo Akanori asked her. He was one of the top Market Analysts in Genom, an older man, near retirement, and resentful of anyone who fast-tracked. He and six other senior Genom executives had been working to make their project a reality for more than six months. Domino had only been put in charge three days before.

"Yes. The answer is no."

"No?" Shingo looked at her as if he thought he might have heard wrong or thought she was making a joke.

"Odotte-san, surely you can't dismiss the proposal that easily," Naoki Nakamura said.

"You didn't have the time to fully consider it," David Anderson told her.

"I am dismissing your proposal and I had more than ample time to consider it. Genom will not reintroduce the 33-S sexaroid boomer."

"But the profits," Shingo told her. "This project has the potential for enormous profits."

"Yes, for a time, then we will lose money over it."

"What?" David asked her.

"The 33-S was flawed, in a way, from the very beginning. Ignoring the use of C-class boomer components, we still have to deal with a unit that will eventually rebel from it's basic programming in all but the most extreme situations."

"What do you mean? They are just machines," John Yamashi said.

"In the same way you and I are just machines, perhaps," Domino said, "but the 33-S was not just a standard boomer. Most of them achieved human level sentience and sapience shortly after activation. Their basic programming was to become what the person with them wanted. They read body language, considered everything said, generated a number of possible outcomes and within a very short time were able to become what the other person wanted. It was almost like telepathy."

"What is the problem with that?" Shingo demanded.

"A 33-S will react to the strongest personality around them. Over time their own personality begins to develop and becomes fairly strong. Eventually they become individuals, no longer content to be a slave race. They want to be free and that is what they will strive for. This is the problem we will have if we re-introduce the 33-S."

"Surely we could do something about this," John said. "Make them less intelligent, something."

"And sell a substandard product?" Domino looked at him critically.

"Of course not," Shingo said quickly. "But there should be something we can do."

"No. What made the 33-S so superior at what it did is what will cause us problems in the future. A few thousand boomers suddenly deciding they no longer wish to be slaves is not something that I for one wish to consider. Also," she decided it was time to given them something, "Genom is introducing the 33-C Mark 2 companion model within a year."

"A 33-C?" Shingo asked. It was the first he had heard of it.

"An improved model, three basic skeletal frames, and you will be able to have sex with it." She looked pointedly at Shingo. The man had not been happy when his 33-S had been taken away from him.

"Will it function like the 33-S?" David asked.

"No, it would pose the same problem if it did. While these will not be as sophisticated as the 33-Ss were they will be more useful for other tasks such as bodyguard duty. And while they will not be able to judge one's tastes as well as the 33-S, all they will need is a little instruction on what one likes and does not like."

"Will they be as believable as the 33-Ss were?" Naoki asked her. "It was nearly impossible to tell a 33-S from a real person and not just the sexual aspect. If I sit down and talk to one of these Mark 2s will I be able to tell the difference?"

"Yes, eventually, but like all boomers, with time it will learn, become more human I guess you could say. The Endoskeleton class' use of organic material for part their brains ensures this will happen unless steps are taken to prevent it. I think most of our clients will be pleased with the new 33-Cs."

"And what was this about 3 skeleton types," John asked her, sounding interested.

"We will use three mass produced skeletons, female of course. One taller than average by about 10cm, one about average height and one shorter than average by about 8cm."

"What about male skeletons?" Naoki asked.

"Possible, but it is still being considered. We have to decide if there is a large enough market for male boomers one can have sex with. The Mark 3B C-class boomers were given basic male anatomy, which could function as part of their human aspect. We have not seen an increase in sales of the model though. Of course that model wasn't what most would consider a pleasing sexual partner due to its weight and basic lack of social graces. There is still market research that has to be done. If it appears we can sell a male model, we can retool the line that produces the tallest of the female skeletons."

"And what about combat features?" Shingo asked, realising he was not going to get the 33-Ss reintroduced.

Domino hid a smile. She had dealt with the problem in a way that did not step on too many toes. These men and women would now happily consider the new Mark 2s. Domino was not worried about offending anyone, but she chose to avoid it when possible. She had enough enemies in the company as it was.

* * *

Mackie looked the new motoslave over. It was in its motoroid form, standing in the repair cradle. Sylia had finished putting it together over the last few days; Mackie was currently linking the weapons system into the computer.

The design had more in common with the Typhoon II, though it also shared some aspects with the Tempest, Nene's new Motoslave. Much like her hardsuit, the new motoslave was designed around Sylia's fighting and command style. It was stronger, faster and much more versatile than her old motoslave as well as possessing a more devastating weapons systemthough it could be fitted with precision weapons as well.

And Sylia was programming an improved AI system for it. The new ones, the ones she had put in the Typhoon II, the Tempest and the Tornado were very close to true boomer work. He had looked over the basic outline for the newest system and was quite impressed. They could probably be better than anything Genom currently had out, but she would limit them. She had no desire to make the motoroids sentient. She wanted to be able to turn them off. It was almost a crime in a way.

The AI work was not his speciality though. He had inherited their father's mechanical genius but Sylia had that and his talent with AI systems. Unfortunately for all their brilliance there was little they could do if they did not want to be working for Genom.

Mackie began to pull the armour from the frame of the motoroid. As he did so he wondered what he might do in the future. Go to university, obviously. But what he would study and what he would do were still mysteries to him.

He wondered if he would find University as boring as he had found both Junior and Senior high school. He had put up with Junior, it was compulsory and his and Sylia's guardians would not have let him skip out. Sylia had not stopped him from leaving SHS; she had just made sure he wrote the necessary equivalency tests every month so he could graduate.

Of course university had girls, which was much more than he could say about that private all boys SHS he had attended. One of the finest schools in the country and one of the dullest as far as he was concerned.

But, girls or no, he still had no idea what it was he would do. There were so many fields open to him, but he was uncomfortable with some of them. He could easily get an Engineering Masters and design power suits. No matter what applications he designed them for, he knew that his work would end up being used in combat. He was not sure if he was comfortable with that.

Medicine was another option. There was a lot of work that could be done in the cybernetics field alone. Again that led to the possibility of his work being used for combat purposes.

Mackie was not entirely sure why that bothered him. Maybe it was because his father's work had been so extensively used for combat and Mackie knew that was not what he had wanted.

"How does it look?" Sylia asked as she came into the room.

"I don't think we'll have any problems," he told her. "We still have to give it a test run."

"Perhaps next week. If I can arrange it I'd like to take all four of the new units to some place where we can give them all a thorough run through. Perhaps up in Hokkaido's mountains," she said thoughtfully. "But we can worry about that later. Are you ready for tomorrow night?"

"I picked up my tuxedo yesterday," he told her.

Sylia nodded. "I envy you that. Formal is so much easier for men."

"Well, there are a number of styles of tuxedoes out there," Mackie said. "It took a little time to pick one out."

"How long?"

"Maybe ten minutes."

"That long," Sylia said, smiling. "Obviously the complexity of male fashion escapes me. Do you need any help with that." She indicated the motoslave.

"No, I'm almost finished. Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Lacking any other storm names that start with a 'T' I have decided simply to name this one the Hurricane II. Not very imaginative, but it is good enough."

"Hurricane II it is then," Mackie said, entering the name into the small computer on the repair cradle."

"Since you have everything in order I'll leave you to your work. If you could, drop by the Silky Doll in an hour or two and see if Azuki-san needs any help."

"Right," Mackie said.

Satisfied she had taken care of everything, Sylia turned and left the room. She still had to pick up her dress for the next evening. Unlike Mackie it had taken her nearly two days to pick the right style, and then she had had to get it altered.

It probably would have been easier to wear a kimono, she thought as she tapped the call button for the elevator.

* * *

Nene's late night escapades were dragging heavily on her. She knew it was going to be a long day. She was just dragging herself into her office space, a pile of reports in her hands when Leon called to her.

"Nene-chan, anything new?" he asked her.

"Not since yesterday," she told him, forcing herself not to yawn. "I've heard some rumours about a bunch of old models that were stolen from a recycling yard, but nothing solid.

"Keep up on it. I know it is kind of boring work, but we have to do it."

"I don't mind," Nene said as she walked over to her desk, placing the files down. "It's a nice change."

Leon nodded. "It's an easier type of boomer work than I am used to. Things have been pretty quiet, other than that blow up Chang-san was involved with." Leon paused. "Have you found out anything new about Genom?"

"Nothing special," Nene lied. "Why?"

"Genom is worried, I can feel it. I've never seen Genom worried before."

"Never?"

"Genom is too big to be worried about anything except something that can threaten them. Anything that can threaten Genom worries me," Leon leaned up against the wall.

"Better the enemy you know?"

"Genom and me are old friends now," Leon smiled. "I understand them."

"I hope you two will be very happy together," Nene smiled.

"Sergeant Romanova, since your promotion I think you have gotten an attitude," he smiled.

"McNichol! You bastard! I want to talk to you," someone screamed from behind them.

Both turned to see Asako Yamano stalking towards them. The set of her face, with the scar, made her look quite fearsome.

"What did you do this time Leon-san?" Nene asked softly.

"I gave her a present," he said.

"Okay Captain, what the hell is this?" she waved a disk under his nose.

"That is a large storage MMSD," he said.

"Yes, and the damn thing is almost full of some of the most incriminating evidence I ever saw against Genom. There is enough here to close four different cases I have been working on, nailing Genom big time and the real movers in the company, not just the little ones they have thrown to the lions in the past."

"Well that is lucky for you then," he smiled.

"Damn it McNichol, where the hell is a warrant for this?"

"If I had a warrant I would have used it myself. I thought it might give you some leads," he flashed her his best smile.

"McNichol!" she screamed as she hurled the disk to the floor then reached up and grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket. She was smaller than him but it did not seem to matter. Asako had never let anyone forget she had once been one of the number one operatives on the Tac Teams. "When I go to court and the Genom lawyers ask me why I looked into those leads and I have to tell them that I had a disk full of illegally obtained information what do you think they will do?"

"Don't tell them," Leon said.

"Ass hole." She slammed him against the wall. It did not really hurt but it did surprise Leon a little. "I will not perjure myself in a court. This data is useless to me. It just tortures me. Don't try to do me any favours McNichol." She released his lapels and stormed away.

"Well, that didn't go well. Next time flowers," Leon said.

"She was very angry," Nene stated the obvious.

"I should have expected that. Asako does everything by the book. You have to like that."

"I'm glad she wasn't mad at me," Nene told him.

"Don't let her find out you got that information for me or that will change very quickly," he warned.

* * *

Find the control in the chaos. That was what Kikuchi-sensei had told her. It was like a Zen Koan to Linna. Oh, she understood what Andrea wanted from her; she just was not sure how she had meant it.

Susanowo was the god of the storm. He was nature's destructive side, rushing in on the winds of the typhoon. She had to represent that random destruction, but at the same time she had to be in complete control of herself. She had to represent destruction in dance, but it still had to be dance, the audience had to know they were watching something beautiful.

So Linna moved about the stage, through the steps choreographed by Andrea, trying to find the control in the chaos.

Given a choice she'd rather be fighting boomers.

"I'd almost say you are trying to hard," Miki said from where she sat near-by. "Or maybe not hard enough."

Linna let out a breath and dropped down beside Miki, shifting into a stretch to keep her muscles loose. "That sums it up I think. You have it easy. You get to be Amaterasu. All you have to be is perfect."

Miki laughed softly. "Well, being perfect is terribly easy."

Linna laughed as well. "Easier than being perfect and imperfect at the exact same time."

"Isn't it kind of like a fight?"

"What?" Linna asked her.

"Well, you practice all your moves and stuff, getting each one perfect, but when you actually fight you just kind of go with it. Its no longer so pretty, but it all still works."

Linna gave it a moment's thought. "Yes, I guess it is."

"So don't worry about the imperfect part of it right now. Just get the perfect stuff down first."

Linna nodded. "That will probably work." She turned towards Miki. "Thank you."

Miki smiled. "We're all in this together after all."

"Right," Linna said as she got to her feet. "Let me see if I can get this to work." She took her place on the stage and began to move through the steps, just working on getting it all right and sharp. She'd add the chaos later.

* * *

"No, you're giving the weight to the wrong places," Priss told Takeshi as she walked over to him. "I need you to punch it up here and here," she told him, pointing to the lyric sheet in front of him.

"I don't get it," Takeshi told her.

"Listen," Priss said. "She was a lover or a liar, I don't know what," she sang, tapping the drumhead on 'lover' and 'liar'.

"Okay, maybe I get it," he said, taking out a pen to make some marks on the lyric sheet. "This would probably be easier if I could read music."

"Since when to drummers have to be able to read music?" Norio said, smiling broadly.

"Since when do drummers have to be able to read period?" Yuuko added.

"We drummers get no respect," Takeshi said good-naturedly as he played his own rim-shot.

"Enough jerking around. I want to get a feel for this one. From the top." Priss moved to the centre of the roomher soon to be recording studioand started on the opening chords for the song.

The others came in, nearly perfect. Priss nodded to Norio then began to sing:

_"One to many times you've said farewell,  
and it stops having any meaning.  
One too many times you've been through hell,  
and you start carrying it with you."_

Priss moved back slightly, stepping away from where the mike would be if she were on stage. She had to be careful with her stage mannerisms in the studio. There was not a lot of room there. She, Norio and Yuuko played for several seconds, a musical pause, making sure that they were all at the right place. Priss began to sing again:

_"Houses are burning, streets are wet,  
screams of tires or victims, I don't know yet.  
And every time that it happens you try not to cry,  
you just harden your heart as you say goodbye."_

_"One too many times you've said farewell,  
and it stops having any meaning.  
One too many times you've been through hell,  
and you start carrying it with you."_

Norio took over, launching into a solo. It gave Priss a little time to rest her voice. Yuuko also got a little of the spotlight, picking out the low notes with her bass guitar. Takeshi didn't see much in the way of solos in most of Priss' writing, and this song was no exception. Just part of the burden of being a drummer.

Priss moved forward again.

_"He was an angel in leather with a soul from the past,  
and a sense of honour that destroyed him at the last.  
She was the mother I lost to nature's wrath,  
crushed when she got in progress's path."_

_"One too many times you've said farewell,  
and it stops having any meaning.  
One too many times you've been through hell,  
and you start carrying it with you."_

_"She was a lover or a liar, I don't know what,"_ Priss looked back and nodded at Takeshi;  
_"and her death was by far the cruellest cut.  
And her sister died with my blood on her hands,  
In anger and sorrow I made my stand."_

_"One too many times you've said farewell,  
and you start to fail to say hello.  
One too many times you've been through hell,  
and you start being comfortable there."_

The instruments were stilled; it took a moment for the last of the sound to fade. Priss looked about, then nodded. "That's what we want."

"So what do you call that?" Yuuko asked. "'Song from Quake Devastated Tokyo'?"

"'Too many times', but, I'll admit, your title has something to it," Priss told Yuuko.

"Can't we do a happy song?"

"Like what?" Priss asked her bassist.

"Well, there is some good shoujo anime music this season. Really up."

"Do I look like a voice actress?" Priss asked her.

"Well, maybe if I'm wearing dark sunglasses."

"Tell you what Nishizaki-kun, write something happy and good and we'll see what we can do."

"Yay!" Yuuko said.

"Yeah, great," Norio said. "Can we take a break now Priss?"

Priss nodded after a moment as she put her guitar into its stand. "Okay, let's take thirty minutes."

Takeshi stood up as he put his drum sticks aside. "So Priss, when are you going to have a big house warming bash?"

"Why, so you can come here and drink all my booze?"

"Is there any other reason?" the drummer asked.

"What do you say we have a small get together here, tomorrow?" Norio asked as he put his guitar aside.

"How small?" Priss asked him.

"Maybe a few hundred people."

Priss sighed. "How many have you already invited?" she asked as she looked between her drummer and guitarist.

"Not many," Norio told her.

"Fifty," Takeshi suggested.

"A hundred," Norio tossed out.

"About one hundred and twenty six," Yuuko said, "but they know unless they hear from us there is nothing happening."

"All right, but only because I could use a party." She walked towards the exit then turned and looked back at her band. "You have some calls to make I think."

* * *

"Party?" Miako asked as she looked through her camera's range finder.

"My band wants to have some fun," Priss told her as she brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Clear the hair from your eyes. I want a kind of wildness to it."

Priss rolled her eyes, but let her hair blow back in front of her eyes. Miako nodded and snapped the picture. They were standing outside of Priss' home, Priss by a pile of rubble that used to be some building or another. She had asked Miako to take some pictures of her. Her agent had suggested she might want to get some professional work done.

Priss was not sure what the point was, but had called Miako to take them.

"So, you going to show up?"

"Sure, probably," Miako said as she snapped another picture.

"Just wanted you to know that there was an invitation."

"Is the anti-drug girl going to be there? The one with the headband?"

"Linna? Maybe."

"She looks like she could be fun to play with."

"I'd avoid it if I were you," Priss said as she pulled her jacket tight against a sudden wind. "She could probably hurt you."

"I suppose I should worry about that. You doing anything tonight?"

"No. Why?"

"Want to go out riding. It will be cold, but the streets will be dry. A bunch of people going out to do a bit of racing. You know I'm not much up on bikes, but it will be fun all around."

Priss thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds interesting," she said. What it sounded like was irresponsible, but Priss had felt like she was being too responsible of late. A little stupidity could be just what she needed.

* * *

Sylia turned as much as she could and still keep her eyes on the mirror. Azuki Toda stood nearby, telling Sylia she looked wonderful. After picking up her dress, and taking care of a few things, Sylia had come back to the Silky Doll to pick up the right lingerie for the dress. She also decided to get Azuki's opinion.

Azuki was one of Sylia's employees, very good at her job with an expert sense of fashion. She of course knew nothing about Sylia's other work. Sylia was glad about that. It was nice to be able to speak to someone who knew nothing of the secret side of Sylia's life.

Sylia looked at herself in the mirror, frowning slightly. "I think the colour is too dark," she said referring to the blue-black of her dress.

"No," Azuki said, shaking her head. "I think it is perfect, it brings out the deeper colours of your hair."

Sylia stepped back from, the mirror, turning slightly, looking at her reflection's hair. "Perhaps."

The dress was fairly simple, yet elegant for it. It was basically a tight sheath of silk, covering her from just below the tops of her breasts down to her ankles. There were no shoulder straps, but small skin adhesive strips kept the dress in place. Her shoulders and part of her upper chest were covered by a half cape of sorts. It was also kept in place with skin adhesive strips.

It fit rather tight, though not uncomfortably so. Sylia had needed to choose her undergarments with extreme care to make sure that the lines would not show.

It was a nice dress, she was certain of that, but the colour still did not seem right.

Azuki, noting the look of dissatisfaction on Sylia's face spoke up. "Some light jewellery, perhaps silver, would look very nice with that."

Sylia thought about it for a moment, then nodded. Silver, or platinum or white gold. "I have a necklace with a small ruby on it," Sylia said.

"I think that would set it off nicely,"

Looking at her reflection, imagining the necklace around her throat, the white-gold chain only showing where it came out form under the cape, the red gem flashing just below her neck, Sylia nodded. "Yes, it is just what it needed. Thank you Azuki-san."

Azuki shook her head. "I'm just being helpful Stingray-san."

"Thank you anyway. Now please, help me get out of this," Sylia said as she walked towards one of the dressing rooms.

A few minutes later the gown was safely back in its garment bag and Sylia had changed back into her skirt and jacket combination.

While Azuki was straightening everything out, getting ready to close, Sylia was looking over the records of the day's sales. It had been a slow day as things went, the most expensive purchase would have been the ultra-fine, syntha-silk panties and strapless brassiere that Sylia had picked up, had she paid for them.

She looked over at Azuki who was refolding the contents of one of the shelves. Sylia liked the woman, she was a good worker and she had an excellent sense of fashion. Something Sylia appreciated.

It would be difficult to get clothing advice from any of the other women that she spent time with, which was really just the other Knight Sabers. Nene of course gravitated towards cute fashions without even really being aware of it. Priss, who Sylia suspected knew more about fashion than she would ever let on, would not take kindly to being asked such questions. Linna's tastes tended to go more towards relaxed clothing that one could move easily in. Perfectly sensible for a dancer, or a fighter.

So Sylia went to Azuki and a few of the other women who worked part time in the store when she needed a little help with clothing. Of course, Sylia thought to herself as she turned to the long term sales records, she did not often need help with deciding what to wear and what looked good on her.

* * *

Priss downshifted, slowing her bike, leaning into the curve. As she came out of it she twisted the throttle and shot out in front of the man on the big 1200 Genom Ookami. She waited until her engine was screaming then shifted up and twisted the throttle again. Her bike's engine was not as big as the Ookami, only 750cc, but she knew how to use it.

It was dark, evening coming early even though the days were getting longer. The streets were dry, for the most part, but the bikes were moving fast. She had not done anything like it in almost three years, back in her gang days.

She remembered riding with Sylvie. It had been nothing like this. She and Miako needed something to spice up their time together. They needed to take chances.

Her thoughts were quickly forced back on the impromptu race by a Kawasaki Ninja pulling up beside her, attempting to pass. She shifted up again, gunning her engine, pulling ahead once more. Her tires slipped slightly on a patch of slick ground but she kept in controlpartly in thanks to her smart tires. In her rear-view mirror she saw the Kawasaki go down. It did not look too bad; the rider managed to take it down under control. Maybe.

Just like old times, Priss thought, not sure if she was happy about that.

Several minutes later, just as they were heading out of Roppongi, heading towards Shibuya, Priss heard the sirens. It was about time, she thought. She looked into her rear-view mirror, seeing the flashing lights, they were some distance behind but closing.

She hit her brakes, turning at the same time, bringing her bike around 180 degrees with the quick manoeuvre. She drove back the way she had come, weaving in-between the other motorcycles, looking for the red and white Little Wolf that Miako was driving. She spotted it near the rear of the pack. Lifting her right hand she waved, hoping the get her attention. After several seconds she turned sharply to her right, heading down one of the side streets. She was glad to note that Miako followed her.

The two bikes whipped down the street, causing some of the walkers on the street to leap to the side. A number of curses and shouts followed after them, but Priss did not waste time being concerned about it. She had to figure out how to outrun the police. On her own it would be easy, but with Miako it was going to take some work. It had been some time since she had ridden the shortcuts, but she still knew where they were.

She found herself actually enjoying herself. The race had been stupid and juvenile, but things were getting interesting. If she were caught they would pull her license for sure. It added the necessary element of risk.

Checking her rear-view mirror to make sure Miako was close, and noting the flashing red light of a police bike, she turned into an alley, scattering empty cigarette packs in her wake.

* * *

Nene was a little surprised by Kaoru's car. The Mitsubishi Diamate was one of the high-end models and she would have thought it beyond his salary. It was a nice car though, and the seats did recline quite a bit.

Dinner had been enjoyable, the restaurant nice and now they were relaxing a bit-though relaxing might be the wrong word. She actually would have liked to go home to play with her computer some more, but she did feel guilty about cancelling their dinner the previous night. And all things considered, the kissing was not too bad.

Kaoru's hands moved down her back, stopping at the waistband of her skirt. At that point most of the buttons on her blouse were undone and it seemed the fastenings of her skirt were to follow. Nene shivered slightly as she felt the zipper slide down, the waistband of her skirt becoming loose.

Nene lifted her hips, letting Kaoru shift around as he slid her skirt down to her knees. It was a tight squeeze, and Nene had to shift back, but Kaoru managed to move between her legs. He leaned forward, careful not to let any of his weight fall on her, and gently kissed along her lower ribs.

Nene blinked, shivering again, glad that Kaoru had darkened the windows to opaqueness. Even so she felt rather exposed, being half-naked in a car.

Kaoru shifted his soft kisses down, giving her navel a quick lick before beginning to kiss along the lacy band along the top of her panties. Nene moaned softly, knowing where it was going to go. For several seconds she said nothing but suddenly pushed away from him, turning to the side, crossing her legs as best she could. "No," she said.

Kaoru stiffened. Nene thought he might get mad, then he relaxed and shifted about, moving to take the diver's seat again. He was breathing heavily and Nene could see the obvious state of his arousal. She suddenly felt a little guilty.

"Not going to make this easy are you Romanova-san." He smiled.

"Just that in a car, it's not very romantic." Nene turned and lifted her hips again; this time so she could pull her skirt up. She also was still feeling the effects of the late night before and wanted to be completely awake before she did anything.

"There are a number of love hotels in the immediate area," he told her.

"Is that why you picked it," Nene laughed as she began to tuck her blouse back into her skirt.

"One of the reasons. Do you want me to take you home now?"

"I do have to work tomorrow," Nene said. "It's not that I did not enjoy tonight, I did, but things got a little too fast." She pulled the zipper of her skirt up.

"Oh well, I can take it slow if I have to," he raised his seat and put his seat belt on.

"Kaoru-san, I love you," Nene said playfully.

"One of these days you will have to prove it." He smiled and started the car.

"You don't have to prove love," Nene told him.

"That's not a statement I would argue with."

"Smart man."

* * *

Her father was in the living room when she came in. Makoto looked up from his paper and smiled at his daughter.

"Nene-chan, fun evening?"

"Hai Papa. I had a lot of fun," she told him.

"One of these days I'd like to meet more of your friends."

"I'm afraid if I bring them over that mama will give them a grilling. I still feel sorry for Priss-san."

Makoto laughed softly at that.

"Where is mama?"

"Sleeping. She was busy in the operating theatre all day," he told her, a grimace of distaste on his face. Makoto disliked the thought of blood and surgery more than his daughter did.

"Ready for the big night?" Nene asked him. She herself was looking forward to the next night's ceremony. It was another reason she had cut her evening with Kaoru short.

"It is more your kaasan's night than mine, she's the one involved in the related work."

"Ever thought of doing AI work Papa?"

"Never. You have to have your head in an entirely different place to work in that field and succeed. I'm happy with what I do."

"I think it is kind of exciting to be invited to a ceremony like this."

"Well, it may be interesting," Makoto said, not sounding to enthused.

"Maybe boring?"

"Do you understand a lot about boomers?"

"No."

"Then it will be boring little girl." He reached over ruffled her hair.

"Tousan!" Nene said, pulling back so he would not make a bigger mess of her hair.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" Miako asked.

"Somewhere in Roppongi," Priss said, pulling her jacket tighter around her.

"I haven't been lost in Roppongi in a long time," Miako laughed.

"I didn't say we were lost."

"Where did you learn to drive like that?"

"Around," she said. Out running the THP cop had not proven to be too much of a task. Whoever she or he had been, the officer had not been too up on the layout of the city.

"Well, wandering around Roppongi beats being ticketed by the cops," Miako laughed.

"Let's try that place out," Priss said, wanting to get out of the cold.

A neon sign that was one of the brightest in the area proclaimed the place Priss had chosen as 'Bar Isn't It?'

The place was packed, a lot of foreigners, not that it was easy to tell who was foreign in Japan, especially MegaTokyo, as of late. Still the buzz of conversation was predominantly English. Roppongi was a great bastion of Western civilisation looking for a good time.

Priss and Miako managed to get a space near the bar, with a little use of elbows and in one case, knees. It was rude but neither was feeling particularly diplomatic. They ordered the 500yen cocktails and then leaned back, watching everything, getting into the flow of the place.

It was hot; Priss opened her leather jacket and undid the top buttons of her blouse as she was beginning to sweat. Miako pulled her jacket off and tied it around her waist with a bit of work. She then pulled off the T-shirt she was wearing leaving her only in her black camisole. No one noticed; many people were dressed much more provocatively.

Eventually they got into the ebb and flow and made their way out onto the crowded dance floor, or at least the short stairs that led down to it. The music was boring, the sort of stuff you heard almost anywhere you went. Priss did not care for it.

A few people recognised Priss, and some recognised Miako as well. Miako went off to a dark corner with two big guys and Priss was pretty sure she was buying drugs. Miako's wide eyed, wired look when she came back confirmed it.

Some time later Priss wondered why she was not enjoying herself. It had not been all that long ago that spending the entire night in one of Roppongi's bars was what she considered a perfect evening. It was not that she was no longer up to it. She did not feel tired at all.

Damn it, she thought. She ordered another drink, and, after tossing it back, fought her way out onto the dance floor, looking for Miako. She was going to enjoy the evening no matter what happened.

She did, but it all felt forced to her.

* * *

**Friday, March 24th, 5:32am**

Priss poked at the soba in the bowl in front of her with her hashi. It was early in the morning, the sky beginning to lighten. The taxicabs were beginning to move along the streets, honking to clear the sleepy people from their paths. Crowds were moving towards the train ekis(stations), heading home, then most likely to offices and jobs and schools. She herself had a rehearsal with the rest of the band sometime that afternoon.

She suddenly wondered about the rider of the Ninja. She assumed he had taken his bike down safely, but she really did not know.

"Let's go," she dropped her hashi and got to her feet.

"Yeah, this night's dead and gone," Miako agreed.

Priss nodded, knowing how she felt. Until she actually got some sleep she would still consider it to be Thursday.

They made their way back to their bikes, unlocked them and started them up. Priss was a little drunk, but only a little. Miako was still stoned on whatever she had taken back in the bar, but it did not effect her driving.

Once they passed a police car, but the occupants did not seem too interested in the two bikers. After they made it to Miako's loft-it was closer than Priss' factory-they collapsed into the bed. Both were too tired to do anything and soon they were asleep, arms and legs tangled together.

* * *

_"Walk stealthily where under the arch of heaven"  
_**-Japanese proverb**


	28. Fearful Symmetry 3

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
** An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (3 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(1999) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

It was very early when Domino came into work. She had worked late the night before, but not as late as the previous night, and she had also returned to her condo for a better rest. She came in early because she was planning on leaving earlier than usual.

Devon had invited her to the evening's ceremony to honour the late Stingray-hakase. She thought it would be enjoyable. She was curious as to whether she would meet Sylia, and if Sylia would recognise her as the seeming teenager that had come into her shop not long ago.

It was not really a major concern to Domino though. The possibility that she might meet someone related to the 33-S Third Generation Project was something that did worry her. While there was no one at the ceremony who had been part of the design team, there were a few that had been on the periphery of the project.

Being recognised for what she was would be a problem. Domino did not let it effect her, however. She would not live in fear of what might happen. She had made some plans to deal with various contingencies and had to hope they would be enough.

On her way to her office she swung into the Dump, a garment bag with her dress for the evening over her shoulder. Domino had found shopping for formal wear to be somewhat a challenge. She had not wanted to go with a cocktail dress, which would have worked, but had quickly discovered a problem with other garments.

Most of the styles put her into the younger age range of her appearance. She did not want that. Others were somehow worse, making her look as if she was playing dress-up, as one very forward saleslady had put it.

She had finally settled on a style reminiscent of the styles of ancient Greece. It gave her an ageless look, which was not quite what Domino had wanted, but close enough. That was all for later though.

She walked into the Dump, passing by the security boomers without a glance. The Dump was as it always was. The analysts were busy; examining all the information that came in. Domino glanced across the screens, noting that MRAStech'snow Genom'sexperimental, new-type fusion reactor was coming along well, and that the fourth asteroid station had been completed.

The asteroid stations were another Genom project to expand into space. There was a huge amount of natural resources within the asteroid beltsome of it already being exploited by the first of the stationsand the installations would one day serve as stop over points on the way out to the far planets.

Domino spent a few more minutes staring at the main screens then shifted her eyes to a smaller screen where information the analysts had tagged as important was displayed. She read it, taking note of a few things that would be of use for her. Then she saw something that caught her full attention.

A ship had arrived in the port at Cape Town in South Africa. It was supposed to be full of boomers produced in Brazil, but all that had been found in the ship's holds were raw materials. Something that Africa had little need for.

Mistakes like that happened, but Domino was looking for threats and did not think it was just a mistake. She sat down at one of the unoccupied computers and began calling up information. The ship, the 'Atlantic Breeze', was supposed to be carrying two hundred and sixty construction boomers, twenty fire-fighting models, forty-three 55C-Class and twelve D-Class combat boomers. A large order, and the construction boomers had been slated to build much needed desalination plants and irrigation systems.

Domino called up the actual contents of the Atlantic Breeze, reading through the list of raw materials there. It was not a complete list, but it was enough information for her to start a search for cargo manifests that might match it.

She found three. One was going to Norfolk, one to Liverpool and one to Yokohama. She called up the information on the one going to Yokohama.

The 'Jester' had reached Yokohama two nights before, none of its Cargo had been off loaded yet. "Kuso," Domino said softly. Almost two days to work with. She got to her feet, leaving her garment bag behind as she ran from the Dump. Even as she ran she had her NAVI out and was making the first call.

* * *

Genom maintained its own facilities at Yokohama. It had rebuilt most of the port after the quake and had made sure that it met their needs, even dredging out the harbour to allow the largest ships to enter.

The Zaibatsu had its own docks, warehouses and even a customs clearing section. It was all very useful, but it had become a potential problem. Only on the Genom docks could a ship sit unattended to almost two days without someone complaining.

Domino sat in the main compartment of a black, twin engine Tonbo(Dragonfly) gunship. The helicopter was not carrying any weapons and was marked with the serial numbers that identified it as part of Genom's civilian air fleet.

In the forward compartment were the pilot and co-pilot/electronics officer. With Domino in the main compartment were five others: two C-class boomers and three Genom security operatives. Behind them on their port and starboard sides were two other Tonbos, each carrying six more operatives, all boomers. And flying high overhead, ready to swoop down if they needed the fire support, was a Hughes Apache 2.

It was a small but very powerful assault force, yet Domino would have liked more equipment and manpower. However, she had been constrained by time. She wanted to get to Yokohama as soon as possible. Fortunately Genom kept a number of quick response teams standing by in case of trouble.

"We're approaching target area," the pilot's voice called out over the headphones. "Everything looks clear."

Domino moved her boom mike towards her mouth, then looked over at one of the other women in the main compartment. Azusa Saotome was one of Genom's security officers, a military officer really. Genom had hired her from the SDF. While Domino was the ranking person there, it was only political to let Azusa handle things. Perhaps smarter as well. She did have over fifteen years military experience.

She moved the boom away from her mouth and nodded towards Azusa. Azusa nodded back.

"Take us around, I want to approach the target from over the ocean. Give me confirmation, over," Azusa said.

"Understood," their pilot told them. The pilots in the other two gunships also confirmed their understanding.

"High fang this is Prime 1, maintain your current altitude, keep a close watch on us, over."

"I got ya," the Apache 2 pilot responded.

"All stations you know what to do. Radio silence from this point on. Prime 1 out."

The three gunships banked sharply, crossing out over the ocean, their engines disturbing the early morning quiet. The still raising sun was sparkling off the cold waters of the ocean.

"We might have to take out the ship," Azusa told Domino.

"If we have to that is fine. If they have fortified their position then they are still there."

"If they are still there we might get blown out of the sky."

Domino smiled. "You'll get a wonderful funeral though."

Azusa laughed at that. The other two operatives, Maya Ibuki and Shigeru Aoba also laughed, but it was forced. They were both too old to believe that they were immortal and too young to think that death had its lighter aspect. The boomers did not laugh, of course.

As they flew towards the moored Jester, the gunship to the lead coptor's port began to pull ahead. That one was completely crewed by boomers, even the pilot and co-pilot. That one would make the first pass.

"No sigh of problems yet," their pilot said over the gunship's intercom system.

Azusa nodded. "Okay, let's get ready," she said to the rest of them, then did up her combat webbing and picked up her Genom Suzumebachi battle rifle and slid a drum/helical magazinefull of APDS roundsinto the weapon. She would not cock the weapon until she got out of the helicopter.

Domino looked her own weapon over, another H&K SMG; the magazine loaded with an APDS, HESH cocktail. Maya and Shigeru were, ironically, both using Misaki Arms M42-A1 SMGs. An effective weapon, if loaded with the right ammunition. Both of the boomers were carrying heavy weapons. One had a FN light machine gun, the other a GE mini-gun.

"Unit three has passed over the Jester," their pilot reported. "Looks fine. They are swinging about. Moving to hover over the ship." Domino, Azusa, Shigeru and Maya waited, each literally or figuratively on the edge of their seats. "Team three is moving onto the deck of the ship, unit three has begun to pull away."

A moment later the radio came to life. "This is Prime four," the boomer in charge of team 3 called. "We are on the deck of the objective. No sigh of resistance, over."

"Hold and secure your position Prime four," Azusa said. "We're coming in. Out." She turned off the radio and looked over at the boomers. "Do it."

The boomers moved quickly, sliding the doors open, letting in the cold March air as they clipped themselves to the door gunner harnesses and leaned out of the helicopter, their weapons pointed forward.

The second helicopter came in over the deck of the Jester, hovering about five meters from the deck surface. The team leapt out, landing on the deck. Prime Four would be ordering them into positions. Then their helicopter was closing on the target. While the boomers could easily deal with a five-meter drop, the humans were not so lucky. They would have to rappel from the helicopter. Domino could have taken the drop, but it would have given her away. She clipped her carabiner to the rope then, as the helicopter moved to hover over the deck tossed the rope out.

It took them only a few seconds to reach the deck. Once they were on deck, free of the rope, the two boomers freed themselves from their gunner harnesses and leapt down.

"Okay," Azusa called out loudly. "Check the entrances for booby traps and watch your feet."

The boomers moved out quickly, following their orders. Not long afterwards they began calling back. All the doors and hatches were trapped.

Azusa looked at Shigeru. "Looks like you're up."

"Hai," Shigeru said as he grabbed for his demolitions and disposals bag.

Azusa looked at Domino. "Something is definitely up."

Domino nodded. "Can you send one of the teams into the customs house?" she asked.

Azusa nodded and relayed Domino's orders.

* * *

The ship was still being searched but Domino was fairly certain that there would be nothing found. The holds were empty, though Maya had told Domino that there were a number of fresh scratches on the deck, which indicated a cargo had been off loaded. They had also found some dead bodies. The ship's crew.

More dead bodies had been found in the customs house. Domino was impressed by the operation. It was done very quick and efficiently by the looks of things. Domino had ordered any and all footage from security cameras, security boomers, and even satellites that might have spotted something, to be sent to analysis.

If there were any thing to be found it would be.

Domino walked down the gangplank towards the dock. There were a number of people looking on, curious as to what was happening. Hopefully things would stay quiet. Best to make sure any potential watchers had no reason to feel alarm.

She pulled her NAVI from her webbing and flipped it open. She had to arrange a number of things.

BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK

Akiko was woken by the soft beeping of her NAVI. She reached over and grabbed the unit, flipping it open as she brought it close to her face. "Moshi moshi," she said, putting a sleepiness into her voice that was not really there.

"Sheffield-san, I want you at heliport 3D as soon as possible," Domino told her.

"Hai Domino-sama," Akiko said.

"I will tell you everything you need to know when you arrive. Any gear you need will be provided."

"Hai."

"Good," Domino said just before cutting the connection.

Akiko folded her NAVI shut and then carefully got out of her bed, making sure she did not wake Rebecca. While the apartment they shared had two bedrooms they only used the one. She looked down at Rebecca as she stood, smiling as she saw that she was still asleep. Definitely not a combat unit Akiko thought.

She moved quickly and quietly, getting ready to go. The last thing she did was leave a note for Rebecca and then she left the apartment.

* * *

Heliport 3D was located on top of a 15-story building that was located seven city blocks from the Tower's perimeter. The first eight stories were occupied by a department store; the rest of the building was office space. The last story and the roof were high security.

Haruko had never been there before. It had never been required. Domino had told her to meet her there. At least there had been no problems with her ID.

The elevator doors opened and she found herself looking out at the roof. A cool wind whipped through her hair and she closed her eyes against it for a moment. Steeling herself, she stepped out onto the roof.

Haruko looked around as the elevator doors closed behind her. There were a few people there, she guessed they handled the helicopters, when they were any.

"Did Domino-sama call you as well?" someone asked from behind her.

Surprised, Haruko spun about. "Oh, it's you Sheffield-san," she said, recognising the woman who had addressed her. Akiko Sheffield was one of Domino's special operatives. She looked so young, more like a high school student, but Domino trusted her. "Yes, Odotte-san did call me and asked me to meet her here. Do you know why?"

Akiko shook her head. "She only told me to be here and that she would tell me everything I needed to know."

"That's what she told me as well. Maybe we'll be working together?"

Akiko looked at the other woman, not sure if she believed that. It was obvious Haruko Tetsu was not a combat operative. She smiled though. "We'll see I guess."

"Everyone move to safe locations," one of the ground crew shouted out.

Haruko looked about, not sure what a safe location was.

"See that black and yellow line," Akiko said, noting that Haruko had looked a little nervous.

"Yes."

"As long as we are on the outside of that we're fine."

Haruko nodded, bowing slightly. "Thank you."

Akiko waved it off and then turned to scan the area about them. She spotted the incoming helicopter in a few seconds. She recognised it as a Tonbo gunship, though it did not look armed. It was fairly large helicopter, with twin rotors to offset the need for a tail rotor. A good design for moving combat teams in and out of hot areas.

The pilot was good and put the helicopter down without a problem.

A moment later two women got out. Haruko recognised Domino, Akiko also recognised Azusa Saotome. The two talked for a moment, then Azusa, ducking low, ran out from under the spinning rotors, making directly for the elevator. Domino turned towards where Akiko and Haruko stood and waved them to her.

"At the speed the blades are spinning they aren't going to dip much, but ducking low is a good habit to get into." That said Akiko turned and walked towards where Domino stood, ducking her head. After a moment Haruko followed after her.

"Get in," Domino told them both as she pulled herself back into the main compartment. As the two others climbed in after her Domino handed both of them headsets. Once they had the headsets on, cutting the noise from the engine, Domino began. "I need you both to go to Brazil," she told them.

Akiko simply nodded, but Haruko said, "Brazil?"

"There is a problem there I believe. Attempts to get in touch with the head of operations, Komatsu Seiroku, have failed. I believe that Seiroku may have something to do with the problems, but that it what you will be finding out."

Domino reached into the bag by her feet and removed two mini MMSDs. She handed one to Akiko and the other to Haruko. "That's all the information I have to date, and your mission briefing. If you have any questions, give me a call on route."

"We're leaving now?" Haruko asked. "Won't I need a passport or something, I'm not even packed and..." Haruko trailed off, seeing both Akiko and Domino looking at her as if she was talking nonsense.

"All of that has been arranged," Domino told her. "This helicopter will take you to the airport where you will board a semi-ballistic. You should be in Brazil within three hours. It will be required that you drop into the target location to save time."

"Drop?" Haruko asked.

"Parachute," Akiko said.

"I've never..."

"Sheffield-san will take you safely through it," Domino told her. "There will be a team waiting for you. Sheffield-san, you will be in charge of all combat aspects to this operation. Haruko-san, you will handle the corporate side of this operation. You speak with my authority while in Brazil. If you find Seiroku-san you may consider yourself to have authority over him. If you have to step on toes while you are there, do so."

"I'm not sure I will be able to do this," Haruko admitted.

"I need you to do this," Domino told her. "If you truly feel you are not up to this, I accept that, but I would like you to do it."

Haruko said nothing for a moment, then she nodded. "Hai."

"Good," Domino told her, then she switched to the pilot's intercom. "As soon as I'm clear you get these two to the airport, as fast as you can."

"I will."

Domino switched back to the first intercom. "Report back to me as soon as you can. I want you to both watch out for the other."

"Hai," they both said, nearly in unison.

Domino took her headset off then jumped from the helicopter, carrying her bag with her. She turned once she was clear, watching as the Tonbo lifted into the air. From the open compartment Akiko gave her a thumbs up. After a moment Haruko copied her. Domino returned it a moment before the helicopter banked sharply, flying off towards the airport.

She sighed softly as she watched it go. If you want people to do things for you, ask them. That was all there was to it. A lesson that Mason had learned and had passed on to Domino. She was better at using it though. And once they did as she asked, they were hers.

She almost felt guilty about it.

Almost.

Domino turned and walked towards the elevator. She had a lot of work to do.

* * *

Sylia had been in the process of updating her speech, as she had a few times before-she was still not completely how she was going to say what she wanted-when Fargo called. He seemed to think it was important enough, so Sylia had put her work aside to go and meet him.

He had chosen a ramen stand in a remote corner of Shinjuku. When Sylia had arrived he was seated at the stand, a large bowl of ramen in front of him.

"Afternoon," he said around a mouthful of ramen.

"You wanted to talk to me," Sylia said as she took a seat beside him. The stand's owner was sitting some distance off, having a smoke. They had a reasonable amount of privacy.

"Genom wants you to do some work for them."

"What?"

"They wouldn't say."

"Pardon?"

"As they explained it to me, when it happens, you'll know it. If you show up when the time comes, show the colours, they will pay you thirty million-yen. If you have more of an impact there will be an impressive bonus paid."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't know," Fargo said, then raised some ramen to his mouth. "Something is going to happen." He slurped the noodles into his mouth, chewed, then swallowed. "Something big that they figure you will want to be part of."

Sylia nodded. "Did they give you any other information?"

"No. Sorry."

"I suppose they don't expect any confirmation."

Fargo shook his head. "I was just to give you the message."

"Thank you," Sylia said as she got to her feet. "If you hear anything that you think I might be interested in..." Sylia trailed off.

"I'll let you know."

"Good," Sylia said as she turned and walked off.

Later, when she was in her car, driving home, Sylia considered the request. Genom felt there was a threat of some sort, and they wanted combat support. Not only did they want combat support but also they wanted a team that was particularly skilled in fighting boomers. She could not be certain of that of course, but it felt right to her.

What else might they do? She would have to get in touch with Nene to see if anything was up with the ADP. She was also going to have to send message to Priss and Linna so they would be ready.

* * *

"Not bad," Priss said. She and the rest of the band had just finished off their rehearsal.

"We got a great sound," Norio agreed, "but why are you pushing so damn hard, and what's with the new songs?"

"Yeah Priss, something is up here," Takeshi added.

Priss looked between the two, then over at Yuuko. "Got anything to add?" she asked her bassist.

Yuuko shrugged her shoulders. "I'll admit I'm curious, but I figure you'd say something eventually."

Priss put her guitar into its stand. "All right. Come on and I'll give you a run down."

Yuuko and Norio put their own instruments into the stands, Norio laid his sticks aside, and they all followed after Priss. She led them out of the studio/rehearsal space, across the factory floor and then up to her rooms.

She was still woefully short when it came to furniture; she did have some cushions for them to kneel on, and a chair for Takeshi whose bad knees made him averse to kneeling. Since it was her home Priss knew she should have provided refreshments, but she did not. If any of her band members wanted something to drink they could get it themselves.

"Norio," she said as she looked at her guitarist. "Do you remember David?"

Norio looked puzzled for a moment. "Was he that English guy you hung around with?"

Priss nodded. "I've known David for several years now, pulled him out of trouble a few times. He's got work with one of the big recording labels in England. Before you jump on that, we are not getting a contract from them. What we are getting is a big maybe."

"I don't know what to think of a 'maybe'," Takeshi said.

"Normally I would agree with you, but David would not jerk me around. He's setting up his own label with some backing. He wants us as the first act he signs. That is why we've been working on these new songs, getting them right."

"You haven't actually signed anything yet though?" Yuuko said.

"That's right. I've talked a little with David and he seems pretty positive about this. I'm going to send him a rough cut of our new songs soon, after that, well, we'll see."

"I don't know," Norio said. "Does not seem like much."

"Maybe it isn't, but David is a friend of mine, and I'll deal with him until I decide otherwise. And before you ask if you get a say in this, the answer is no."

"You are quite the dictator," Takeshi laughed.

"You knew that when we formed. So, that is the deal, why we are rehearsing so much. It might yet mean nothing, so don't go and buy yourself a new car."

"You're not going to throw this contract in someone's face are you?" Yuuko asked.

"I don't expect to have to do so," Priss told her.

"I guess it is something," Norio said. "So, when do we find out?"

"I would guess in a few weeks."

"What do we do if this doesn't pan out?"

Priss looked at Norio for a moment, wondering if he was being confrontational. "We could go back to Genom, if we have to. Okita may be willing to deal with us on our terms."

"Your terms," Norio pointed out.

Definitely confrontational. "Well, seeing as my terms were that the rest of you were included I can't see why you are complaining," Priss said.

"Hey guys, do you really want to start this," Takeshi said.

"The question is does Norio want to start this," Priss said.

Norio closed his mouth into a tight line. He did not look happy, but he also looked like he did not want to start fighting with Priss. They were saved, or at least given a temporary reprieve, by the ringing of the phone.

"I'll be back in a second." Priss got to her feet and left the room, heading towards her bedroom. In her bedroom she picked up the phone, noting the light indicating the scrambler was on. Because of that she guessed it was from Sylia.

She was right. "Priss-san, I need to speak with you," Sylia said.

"Where?"

"Usual place."

"I'll be there soon," Priss said.

Sylia did not respond. She just hung up. Priss looked at the phone for a moment then hung it up.

When Priss returned to the living room she found Norio was looking less confrontational. She guessed Takeshi had calmed him down. He always did. "I've got to take care of some things. Since it was your idea, can I get you to go shopping for tonight's party?"

"Sure," Yuuko said happily.

"Why not," Takeshi said.

"I suppose," Norio said, still not looking happy. Priss looked at him, frowning slightly. The last thing she need was to have to replace her guitarist now, but if Norio pushed it she would. He was one of the better guitarists she had ever met, but the band could survive without him.

Norio probably had come to the same conclusion because he suddenly looked away and sighed. "Sorry. I'm just kind of tense. I'll help get everything for tonight."

"Thanks," Priss said as she walked across the room to where her jacket was. She picked it up then pulled a wallet from the inside pocket. She let the jacket drop as she opened the wallet. "You know how much we'll need, and what. I figure this is only going to be a drinking deal. This should cover it." She produced seven, ten thousand yen bills and handed them to Yuuko.

"Right," Yuuko said.

"I know some places where we can get deals on beer and stuff," Norio said, trying to make up for the early words.

"Good," Priss said. "I'll be back here within a couple of hours I would think. I'll call you if I'm going to be later." That said Priss grabbed her jacket again and headed out.

* * *

"Nene-chan, what have you got?" Leon asked as he walked into his office.

Nene continued her work with her computer for a few seconds, finishing off part of what she was working on, then turned towards Leon. "I'm not finished reviewing all the data yet, but I've got some information."

"Tell me," Leon said as he pulled one of the chairs about so he could sit across from Nene.

"I've been looking into all the boomer recycling, both legal and illegal. One of the illegal groups is not very competent. They are most likely responsible for the boomer incidents in Shinagawa over the past month. They are not the real problem though."

"What is?"

"One of the legal groups," Nene reached over and pulled a printout from a stack of others. "Nabune Recycling."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Leon asked as he looked over the sheet that Nene had given him. It was a profile on Nabune Recycling.

"They are backed by the Yakuza."

"Oh yes," Leon nodded. "What are they doing?"

"Building combat capable boomers out of whatever they can get their hands on, or at least that is what it looks like."

Leon shook his head. "This could be a problem. Got enough for a warrant yet?"

"Still working on it. Give me a day or two."

"Well, while you are working on that we can shut down the troublemakers in Shinagawa."

"I don't think they will give you any problems," Nene told him.

Leon nodded.

"Captain McNichol," someone called.

Leon looked up towards the door to the office space. Standing there was one of the uniformed officers from the lobby. "What?"

"There's someone to see you," the young man said.

"Who?"

"She is from Genom. Her name is Odotte Domino. She gave me her card," he told Leon, holding out the visiting card he had been given.

Leon got to his feet and walked over to the officer. "Thanks," he said, taking the card. "Tell her I'll be down shortly."

"Hai," he said, then turned and left.

"What do you think this is about?" Nene asked as she got to her feet.

"You never know with Genom," Leon told her as he looked over the card. "Odotte," he said speculatively.

"Do you know her?" Nene asked.

"I don't think so, but she looks like she is high up. Corporate Acquisitions."

"What would she be doing here?"

"That is a very good question," Leon said. "Well, only one way to find out." He started towards the door. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"Hai," Nene said as he left. Once he was gone she returned to her desk and picked up her phone. She did not know why someone from Genom would come to the ADP, to talk to Leon, but she thought Sylia might like to know. Perhaps it had something to do with the new, weird job Sylia had called her about earlier.

* * *

While Leon would be the first to admit that Genom executives were a varied lot, he also had a set view of them. Domino Odotte was not what he was expecting. She looked young, too young, with a waif like appearance. Then she turned to look at him and he saw her eyes. The eyes of a predator. That he expected.

"Captain McNichol," she said, bowing. "I'm Odotte Domino."

"I guessed," Leon said. He had. The suit she wore spoke of money and power. "You wished to speak with me," he said politely, coolly.

"Yes. Thank you for making the time." She smiled at him. It was a very good smile. It was unfortunate it did not touch her eyes, Leon thought. Or maybe it was fortunate. He could have been taken in by a smile like that.

"Don't mention it. Now, if you'll excuse my bluntness, what is this about."

"Trouble." A single, simple word that held a lot of weight.

Leon looked about for a moment. "Maybe we should talk in private."

"If you wish."

"Let me get you a visitor badge," Leon told her before he walked over to the reception desk.

"You got her on camera?" Leon asked one of the officers sitting behind the desk.

"Yes sir," he said.

"Print out a picture, just so we have one. And give me a visitor badge, one with a tracer in it."

"Here you go sir," the man said as he gave Leon the badge.

"Thanks," Leon said, turning and heading back to where Domino stood. "Here," he said, handing her the badge."

Domino took the badge then clipped it to her jacket.

"Come on," Leon said, turning and walking towards the elevator. He looked back just before he got to the doors. She was following him, carrying a case that looked liked an electric guitar case, though a little longer and wider. He doubted she was carrying a guitar.

They took the elevator up to the third floor where the briefing rooms were located. Leon found them one of the smaller rooms, one with a table surrounded by fourteen chairs. Domino walked in, placed her case on the table, and then took a seat. Leon locked the door then walked over to the window. "So, what do you want to talk about?" he asked her.

Domino turned her chair so she could look at Leon. "A load of boomers that was supposed to go to Africa was shipped to Yokohama instead. They have disappeared."

Leon turned to look at Domino, wondering if it was some kind of joke. She did not look like she was joking. "You are not serious?"

"I am deadly serious."

"How many boomers?"

"The number that were to be shipped to Africa were two hundred and sixty construction boomers, twenty fire-fighting models, forty three 55C-Class and twelve D-Class combat boomers."

"And now those boomers are somewhere in this city?"

"Most likely."

Leon walked from the window to the far wall, then turned and paced back to the window. "Are you sure of those numbers?"

"No. The ship could have held more boomers, and it is not too difficult to alter a construction boomer into something more combat capable. They can be armed, better armour placed on them, their AI system can be upgraded. Not quite the threat of a C-Class, but still a problem. On the plus side the weapons they are likely to be armed with will be surplus from the previous century."

"Great. So people get mowed down by an AK-47 instead of an AK2013. That makes all the difference," Leon snapped.

"Captain McNichol, getting angry will not help anyone."

"And what will help?" Leon demanded, moving close to Domino, staring down at her.

"Planning. A well thought out response to what might happen. Co-operation. And this," Domino reached out and placed her hand on the case.

"You are willing to help?"

"Of course. Genom does bear some responsibility for this."

"Some!" Leon said incredulously.

"Some," Domino said with a tone of finality. "We are victims here McNichol-kichou," Domino said as she got to her feet. She was shorter than Leon by nearly forty centimetres and her standing up to him looked almost comical, yet Leon took a step back. "Our property has been stolen. It will likely be used in this city to harm our employees, our customers, and our reputation! Our responsibility in this is that it is our product, product we should have kept a better watch on but failed to. We bear some of the responsibility, but the lion's share of it rests with those who orchestrated this."

Leon looked at her from a moment, not sure if he should believe her or not. He was certain her passion was truth. He had seen Genom operate too many times though to take anything at face value. "That would be a wonderful cover."

Domino smiled slightly. "For what? What could we be doing with those boomers?"

"You could be testing them," Leon suggested.

"Even assuming the Genom would test boomers in such a way, these are all established models. There would be no need to test them."

"Well perhaps it is a cover. You get to destroy a few key sights, kill a few key people, and hide it all in the general destruction."

"Yes, I suppose that could work, but really Captain McNichol, do you think we would not suffer for such an action? The last thing Genom needs is a large-scale boomer rampage, even one where we have total deniability. You know us very well Kichou. Genom plays things very smart. Does this seem smart?"

"You have all the answers don't you."

"Sometimes."

"Fine, you're victims. Let's call the SDF into deal with this. We can't handle D-Class units."

"That would be a bad idea."

"For Genom perhaps."

"For the city as a whole. That SDF is a broadsword. We need a scalpel. Think about what would happen once the SDF deployed into this city? There are members of the Diet who have been waiting for something like that. A chance to clean up the city once and for all. We'd have tanks rolling down into District 24."

Leon said nothing for a moment, then nodded. "The SDF will be deployed eventually."

"Not if the problem is dealt with quickly. It is the same as the last blow up involving Prometheus Bound."

"We had help with that one."

"And you will again." Domino reached down and flipped open the case she had carried up with her. Inside, nestled in custom fitted foam, were the pieces of a weapon.

"What is that?" Leon asked.

"Officially it is known as the GW-14. The GW stands for Genom Weapons, in case you are curious." Domino removed the receiving group from the packing, then the butt-stock, which she slotted in place. "The designers have nicknamed it 'Mjolnir.'"

"Mjolnir," Leon said, trying to pronounce the unfamiliar phonemes. He watched as Domino removed the long barrel from the case and fitted it onto the weapon. Next she removed a sleeve that she slid over the barrel. A sight of some sort was clipped onto the top, a bipod onto the end of the barrel, a few other attachments as well. She put it together quickly, efficiently as well.

When she was done she was holding a weapon that was almost two meters long. It was obviously a sniper rifle, but Leon was not quite sure why she had brought it.

Domino recognised the doubtful look on his face and smiled. "Trust me Kichou, you'll like this." She put the bipod down and then placed the rifle on the table. Then, kicking off her shoes, she got on the table as well, taking up a firing position. It was not something she should be doing while she was wearing a skirt, but Leon decided not to say anything.

"This is a rail weapon. It fires a spike with a two millimetre diameter at very high speeds." She put the weapon up to her shoulder. "Aim, squeeze the trigger, and put the spike in the right place, and you will take any C-Class boomer down. The round's trajectory can be altered slightly while in the barrel, the magnetic fields do that." She took her hand from the under the barrel and patted the sighting mechanism. "The computer in this controls it all. You can fire into a crowd and be fairly certain that you will only hit your target."

"And anything behind it," Leon said.

"The computer can also control the velocity, if you want it to, so that the round remains embedded within your target."

Leon let out an appreciative "wow" in spite of himself.

"Furthermore," Domino continued. "There are a number of capacitors within the barrel that will store up power, allowing for even greater velocity to be imparted to the round. Pull the trigger to its first stage, hold it for five seconds, and then fire. The round will shred a C-class boomer, and, if you hit the right spot, can take down a D-Class."

"How do we find the right spot."

Domino looked back at him over her shoulder. "That information is stored in the computer."

"How is it powered?"

"There is a battery in the pistol grip," Domino told him. "That is only good for a few shots. Normally you'd carry an external battery pack or fuel cell with you."

"It's a nice weapon system," Leon said softly.

"It was designed to be so," Domino told him, sensing something was up.

"Perfect boomer killer."

"That is one of its uses."

"So why didn't you get this to us before," Leon snarled. "It's just what we needed!"

"It would not do for us the market such a weapon."

Leon moved around the table and leaned in right over her. "A lot of people have died."

"Genom cannot market a boomer killer at the same time we market boomers. Our customers would be displeased."

"To hell with your customers!"

Domino stared at Leon for a moment, then reached into her jacket and produced her NAVI. "Here," she said, handing it to him.

"What is this all about?" Leon asked even as he took the NAVI.

Domino said nothing. She reached into the case and removed the battery pack, which she slotted into the pistol grip. Then she removed the magazine that she slid into the weapon-it was a bullpup configuration. "It's ready to go now," Domino told him.

She then shifted into a cross-legged sitting position on the table, and raised the weapon to her shoulder, pointing at the ceiling. Looking into the sight she shifted the point of aim around until she had what she was looking for.

"Right now this weapon is lined up with your Chief's desk. If you will be so kind to call him to be sure he is sitting there, I can kill him."

"What?"

"I can kill him, from here. The round will easily pass through everything in its way. I'll fire two. One to clear the way, and one to make sure he goes down."

Leon stared at her for a long time, finally he said, "I get the point."

"Good," Domino said as she let her point of aim drop, then removed the magazine. "As things stand this weapon is too dangerous to be marketed. I am willing to make a loan of one hundred of them to the ADP, temporarily of course." She held out her hand towards him.

"Of course," Leon said. He handed her back her NAVI.

Domino got off the table and slid her feet back into her shoes. She smoothed her skirt down then looked at Leon. "There will be non-disclosure contracts that will have to be signed, and the majority of the components of the weapon are black box type and will be destroyed if tampered with."

"Genom thinks of everything doesn't it?"

"If that were true we would not be in this situation now, would we?"

"I don't like this. I don't like being given the perfect weapon to do my job then to have it taken away."

"Perhaps a side deal then. Just to make things more palatable."

"What side deal?"

Domino reached into her jacket pocket and removed a cardboard box. She placed in on the table and then gave it a push. It slid to a stop near Leon. He looked at her, then the box, then picked it up. "10mm APDS," he said.

"Just what you need for your M42-A1s isn't it?"

"We haven't been able to get any."

"Within the hour two million rounds of it will be delivered, along with a smaller number of rounds for your other weapons, including the 20mm you use in your vehicle cannons."

"We won't be able to keep it."

"If you use it well, don't cause excessive property damage or kill any civilians, it will become part of your standard ordinance. You have my word on that."

Leon was about to ask her what value her word had but when he looked into her eyes he knew she was telling him the truth. "Okay. I'll work with you."

"I'll have all the information we have to date sent to you, as well as the contracts and the rest of the GW-14s," Domino said as she started towards the door.

"You're not going to take this with you?"

"I figured that you and your weapons boss would like to test it, just to be sure that I have told you the truth about it."

Leon let out an amused snort as Domino unlocked the door. He watched as she left, closing the door behind her. Odotte confused him. She seemed familiar, and yet he knew he had never met her before. She was like no other Genom executive he had ever met. For that he was both glad and sad at the same time.

* * *

"They want to hire us, but they won't tell us why?"

"That's the way of things," Sylia told Priss.

"Strange," Priss said.

"Very much so. I am worried."

"Something big up?"

"Very likely. Nene-san called me shortly before you arrived. A Genom executive had shown up to speak with Captain McNichol."

"It might not have anything to do with this. Maybe it's just someone who wants to kill Leon. I could understand that."

Sylia smiled ever so slightly. "That does not seem likely. I'm curious to learn what it was about. Hopefully Nene-san will contact me soon."

"Well, I'll be ready in case anything happens."

"Tonight I'll be busy with the ceremony, as will Nene-san. You and Linna may have to handle things on your own, if anything happens tonight."

"We'll be able to handle it. The codes still the same?"

Sylia nodded. "You'll have no problem getting to the equipment if the time comes."

"Fine with me." Priss leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling. "We'll take the new motoslaves."

"Take all of them if you go. You might need the extra firepower."

"Sure." Priss sat up. "Hey, did you ever figure out that knife I brought back?"

Sylia looked a little surprised by the question, but nodded. "I have. Why are you interested?"

"Are we going to have to looking out for them?"

"I don't think so." Sylia turned her chair and opened one of her desk drawers. She brought out the knife Priss had returned with after their unsuccessful mission with Doctor Andrews. "The blade was grown in zero-gravity, the crystalline structure of the blade set to very stringent and different patterns depending on their location within the knife. It is similar to what I did for the blades in my suit. The process is terribly expensive."

Priss reached out and took the blade from Sylia. "Any sort of way we can defend against it?"

"A single layer of carbon molecules laid over the hard armour of the suit in a diamond matrix."

"Sounds expensive."

"The carbon is very cheap, it is working in a zero-gravity environment and creating the plasma of carbon that is difficult. It is not something we will be able to do anytime soon. I would not worry about it too much. The success your attacker had was due in part to a great deal of skill as well the quality of the weapon. It is about what I would expect from a Second Generation combat 33-S."

Priss turned the knife in her hand. "She was good. Fast, very fast," Priss said as if she was thinking of something else.

Sylia watched for a moment, not saying anything, then, "She would probably win in a knife fight."

Priss looked up from the knife, looking a little surprised. After a moment she nodded. "Probably." Priss shifted the blade in her hand then handed it back to Sylia handle first.

"I'll keep you informed of any changes that come up," Sylia told Priss as she returned the knife to her desk drawer.

"Anything else?" Priss asked as she got to her feet. She felt that the meeting was over.

"Stay sharp."

"I always do."

* * *

Linna was feeling very tired by the time that Andrea called it a day. More work for her to try to make chaos controlled, while leaving it as chaos. She was beginning to think that she would never manage it, but her sensei seemed pleased with the results.

She made her way, along with the rest of the dancers, to the change rooms. There, she sat down heavily on the bench in front of her locker. During the dance the small beeper she wore in her ear had sounded off a few times. None of the signals had been the emergency signal that she and Sylia had agreed upon, if she was needed right away.

She opened her locker and removed her NAVI from her gym bag. There were two messages for her. One was from Sylia and the other from Devon. The one that Sylia had left was the standard, cryptic, get in touch with me message. Devon, on the other hand, came right out and asked her to call him.

She called Sylia first, making sure that all the encryption protocols were activated.

"Moshi, moshi, Stingray residence," Mackie said as his face appeared on the small screen.

"Mackie-san I received a call earlier."

"There's been a job offer," Mackie said. "It's kind of a strange job. Could come up at any time and Oneesan wants you be ready in case something happens."

"That's it?"

"Hai."

"Anything else?"

"No, that is everything. I'm sorry I can't say more, but I don't know much more myself."

"All right, I'll be ready if anything happens."

"I'll tell Oneesan. Bye."

"Bye," Linna said, then she cut the connection. That was odd, Linna thought as she turned off the encryption protocols and then entered Devon's number.

"Linna-san," he said before his image had appeared on the screen, before Linna's image could have appeared on his. "I'm glad you got back to me."

Linna was a little surprised that he had known it was her first until she had realised he probably had a call display feature. "Sorry I took so long. I was rehearsing."

"I understand. Are you busy tonight?"

"Well, not really," Linna said.

"I was wondering if you would help me. I am attending a function tonight and my original dinner date had to cancel. I know it is very short notice, but I was hoping you would agree to come with me."

"Well, I'm not sure. Do I even have time to get ready? What is the dress?"

"It is a formal affair."

"Formal? I'm not even sure I have anything that is formal, expect for a few kimonos," and an ugly bridesmaid dress, Linna thought but did not say.

"I understand. In accepting this offer there is a dress included, as well as a stop at a salon."

Linna laughed at that. "You seemed to have thought this out well."

"It is one of my strengths."

"What is this function?"

"It's a dinner honouring the late Stingray-hakase, the inventor of boomers. You may have heard about it."

"I think I read something in the paper," Linna lied. She of course knew of the dinner.

"It should be an enjoyable evening. A little dull perhaps, if you are not interested in boomers, but enjoyable non-the-less."

Linna thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to be present for Sylia's big moment. She had not thought she could have gone, there was no reason for her to be invited. Now she had a chance. "Okay."

"Wonderful. I'll be in front of the theatre in twenty minutes. From there we will go shopping."

Linna nodded. "I'll see you there. Goodbye Devon-san," she said, then cut the feed.

She folded the NAVI up and returned it to her bag. She was going to have to hurry to shower and get dressed in time. At least she was not going to have to worry about her hair, not with Devon taking her to a salon.

* * *

Nene was finishing up her work, planning on leaving earlyshe had to get ready for the dinner that nightwhen Leon came into the room.

"Nene-chan, I need you to take a look at something," he told her. He placed something that looked a little like a telescope in front of her.

"What is it?" Nene asked him.

"It's the sight system for sniper rifle. There is a computer in there that Shiroko can't make sense of."

Nene picked it up and looked it over. A sealed unit, no way to get into it she could see, but there was one obvious computer jack. She placed it back on her desk and opened a drawer, producing a tangle of cables. A few seconds of pulling at them freed up the one that she needed. The rest got dumped back into the drawer.

She plugged one end of the cable into the sight, the other end she slipped into her computer. "Okay, let's see what we have here."

She tapped a few commands in and a moment later the Genom Logo came up on her computer screen. "Genom made this?"

Leon nodded.

"How did you get it? Is it part of an investigation."

"They gave it to me."

Nene looked at him for a moment then turned back to the screen, her fingers flying across her keyboard. "Interesting," she said a few seconds later.

"What?" Leon asked.

"There are all these little viral packets in here, set to destroy all the code if anyone messes with it."

"Why am I not surprised," Leon said. "So you can't do anything with it."

"I never said that," Nene told him as she went to work.

"Hey, we'll only have a limited number of these things! I don't want any wrecked."

"Don't worry, I know a few tricks." That was true. She had also picked up a great deal of information during her raid of the Tower's computer system the other night. "I think I've got something," she said a few seconds later.

"What?" Leon asked her.

"Only the basics really. What it can do and the documentation on it. If I go any deeper I might end up setting off the viruses."

"What can it do then?"

"Works with the sensor package to give the shooter a lot of options on how the sights will work. Infrared, low-light, ultrasound..."

"That we all ready figured out," Leon said, some disappointment in his voice.

"Well, we also have low powered X-ray, magnetic scan, multi-spectrum, and others."

"That I did not know," Leon said, moving close.

"That stuff has been locked out," Nene told him. "I wonder why. Let's see what the documentation has to say."

"I wonder if you could use some of that to pick up a disguised boomer?"

"I think that is what a lot of its is for, disguised or hidden."

Leon shook his head. "Of course they wouldn't tell me that. Can you give me access?"

"Probably," Nene told him.

"Do that," Leon said as he reached for his phone and dialled a four-digit number. "Shiroko," he said a moment later, "bring the sensor pod up to my office. We're going to do a little experimenting." He paused and listened to her response. "Good. See you soon." He hung the phone up.

Nene had finished her work before Shiroko came thought the door. She was looking the sight over, playing with the onscreen menu, running through the options.

"Okay, here's your sensor pod," Shiroko said as she strode into the office. "What do we do with it."

"Hook it up to the sighting system."

"I knew I brought my tool kit for something. Give me that toy Romanova-san," she told Nene.

Nene handed it to her. Shiroko sat down at an unoccupied desk and set about connecting the sight and the pod. Normally they were connected through the rifle, but there were tiny jacks in both devices, allowing Shiroko to link them up.

"I'll need a little extra power," she said after a she had finished the initial work.

"Here," Nene said, handing her a battery pack.

"Perfect," Shiroko said as she took it. In less than a minute she had it all hooked up. "Now, let's see what we can do." She looked at the screen in the sight and reached forward to run through the menu. "Magnetic scan," she said, and began moving the sensor pod about. "Picks up ferrous metals. Could you pick out a boomer with this?" She looked over at Nene.

"Yes, according to the documentation, but it's most accurate at ranges within five meters. The farther you get the less able it is to give you a certain identification."

"It's something," Leon said.

Shiroko nodded as she tried other selections. "I've got a lot of different waves of light on here, what's up with that?" she asked Nene.

"The computer can pick out a boomer with some accuracy based on various signals a boomer emits and humans don't. It's not perfect, background noise will play havoc with it."

"Interesting," she said, still waving the pod about. Then she stopped. "Leon, come here."

Leon walked over to where Shiroko was sitting. Nene looked over as well, noting that the pod was pointed at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Shiroko said.

"Interesting," Leon said, looking at the screen.

"What?" Nene asked.

"Well, it is possible to look through your clothing with this, just the outer layer. I must say Romanova-san; you have a very nice little body under that uniform. And the cutest panties. Aren't they the cutest panties you have ever seen Leon?"

Nene stared for a moment as her cheeks grew warm, then she spun her chair about, putting her arms over her chest. "Perverts!"

"I think we've had enough of that," Leon said as he reached down to turn off the sight. "Can you take the locks off the rest of the sights."

"I'm busy tonight," Nene said angrily.

"Well, can you write a program that will do it for us?"

"Leon is an idiot," she said very softly, then turned to her computer and went to work. A few minutes later she handed Leon a disk. "Just plug a computer into the sights and run this," she told him. "Now I'm going home."

"Thanks Nene-chan," Leon said, taking the disk from her.

"You're welcome," Nene said, but she did not sound as if she meant it. After giving Shiroko an angry stare she gathered up her things and headed for the door.

"Oh Nene," Leon called just as she got to the door.

"What?" Nene looked back at him.

"They are very cute panties."

Nene's face grew red again as she turned and ran from the room.

"And you say I'm cruel," Shiroko said.

* * *

**Technical Notes:**

**Genom Tonbo Gunship**: Released in 2026, the Genom Tonbo has sold reasonably well over the last eight years. It is not a particularly innovative design, looking much like the helicopter that were in use fifty years earlier, such as the 206L Texas Ranger. The twin rotors negate the need for a tail rotor and the powerful engine is much more efficient and powerful than those of the previous century, however.

It is a solid design and the electronics system is designed to be easy to upgrade. It also requires much less maintenance than almost any other VTOL aircraft used in 2030. Still, with aerodyne aircraft becoming more and more prevalent there is talk that Genom will discontinue the production of the Tonbo in the next few years. Parts will still be produced though so it is likely that the Tonbo will remain in service around the world for many years to come.

The Tonbo can be fitted with weapons; all designed so they can be jettisoned if necessary in order to increase speed and range. It is lightly armoured, using ceramics and plastics to protect vital systems.

**Tonbo Gunship**  
Handling: 4  
Speed: 240  
Acceleration: 20  
Body: 4  
Armour: 6  
Signature: 4  
Autonav: 3  
Pilot: -  
Sensor: 4  
Cargo: 70  
Load: 1800  
Seating: 2 Buckets, rear compartment can be fitted with bench seating, or can carry stretchers. It can carry about 10 passengers, though it is a tight fit.  
Entry points: 2+2  
Cost: 30000000 yen  
Availability: 3/2 Weeks  
Street Index: 3  
Other Features: On combat model an ECM and ECCM rating of 5, and it can be fitted with 2 hardpoints, weapons not included.

**Hughes Apache 2**: As the first Apache represented a technological leap over earlier helicopter designs, the Apache 2 represented another technological leap. The rotor was replaced with a pair of enclosed fans. The cockpit area looks rather similar to the first Apache, but instead of a tail boom, the enclosed fans are situated to the rear of the aircraft.

Standard armament includes a pair of miniguns, or 20mm cannons, or in some cases one minigun and one cannon. These weapons are mounted under the nose in fixed positions. Another variation puts one minigun or cannon in a turret like arrangement that allows a much wider arch of fire. Also, to either side, are a pair of missile pylons that can be used to mount missiles or rocket pods.

Like the first Apache, this one makes uses of ceramics and ballistic plastics in the construction of the aircraft wherever possible.  
Genom purchased several, through fronts, to take them apart and reverse engineer what they could from the design. Afterwards, not being ones to waste a useful tool, made them part of Genom's special operation teams. Officially they are registered as civilian helicopters.

**Hughes Apache 2**  
Handling: 4  
Speed: 500  
Acceleration: 30  
Body: 5  
Armour: 14  
Signature: 5  
Autonav: 4  
Pilot: -  
Sensor: 8  
Cargo: 6  
Load: 1000

Seating: 2 Bucket Entry Points: 1+1  
Cost: Restricted  
Availability: NA  
ECM/ECCM rating: 6

**Genom Suzumebachi 7.62 Battle Rifle**: This heavy rifle is used almost exclusively by Genom troops. This is not because Genom won't sell to others, they will, but the Suzumebachi (hornet) is not the best rifle for a soldier. It is expensive to maintain in both money and time.

The helical magazine, that holds 50 rounds, is both heavy, and slots into the top of the weapon. This makes sighting along the weapon difficult, if not impossible. To deal with this Genom used fibre optic cables that run along the inside of the magazine so the person firing could basically sight through the magazine-clip on cables can be attached to the outside of the magazines for imaging scopes and IR, Low Light. Etc.

While effective, both ends of the magazine have to be kept clean, and the magazines are extremely expensive compared to others. Also, in time, the magazines will have to be replaced as the fibre optics get scratched and damaged in other ways.

The weapon is also rather heavy, as is its ammunition. From Genom security this is not a real problem, the fights they are often involved in are short and over quickly, and they almost always have easy re-supply and transport.

On the plus side, the weapon is set up as a bullpup configuration, shortening the overall length of the weapon. It is also well balanced, when the magazine is in, and comes with a lot of recoil compensation, including a muzzle brake and shock pads.

It is gas operated and uses a tilt-breech system very similar to the FAL.

**Genom Suzumebachi** **7.62**  
Conceal: 3  
Ammo: 50(c)  
Mode: SA/BF/FA  
Damage: 9S  
Weight: 8  
Availability: 6/5 days  
Cost: 200000 yen  
Street Index: 3  
Legal: 1-H  
RC: 4

Note: The weapon magazines each cost 7500 yen.

**GW 14 Sniper Rifle (Mjolnir):** Genom's Weapon division has been experimenting with magnetic accelerators for some time. While a number of these weapons were rather large, meant for combat boomers, recently they have managed to decrease the over all size and power to such a point where the weapon can be used by humansSylia is actually still ahead of Genom when it comes to rail weapons.

The GW 14 is one such weapon. While rather large, it is perfect for a sniper rifle. As mentioned in the story the use of capacitors gives this weapon the ability to pack a greater punch than one might expect. Also, the sighting system is quite advanced.

The weapon also has some impressive shock absorbing gear, to protect the shooter from the rather intense recoil.

**GW 14 (Mjolnir)  
**Conceal: NA  
Ammo: 20(c  
Mode: SS  
Damage: 12D  
Weight: 16  
Availability: NA  
Cost: Restricted  
St. Index: NA  
Legal: 1-K  
RC: -  
While the clip holds 20 shots, the battery is only good for four shots.  
By powering up the capacitors you can increase the damage. For each combat segment you hold your shot it increases the damage as per the burst and full auto fire rules. Each segment counts as an additional round fired.

Note: The weapon has the same range as a sniper rifle. Because the trajectory can be altered slightly while in the barrel, there is a -1 to the target number at long and extreme ranges, if the computer in the sight is active.  
As for the sight itself, the overall effects are up to an individual GM.

_"Being a retainer is nothing more than being a supporter of one's lord, entrusting matters of good and evil to him and renouncing self-interest. If there are but two or three men of this type, the fief will be secure"  
_-**Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	29. Fearful Symmetry 4

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (4 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.  
Lyrics from Torn, written by Thornalley/Cutler/Preven, used without permission.

"What have you found out," Domino asked Akiko. She was in her office. Akiko was in Brazil, at Komatsu Seiroku's estate in the country.

"We've found Seiroku-san," Akiko said. "He is dead. We found him in his pool. I think he's been dead for a few days at least."

"Any signs of a struggle?"

"Not that we have found. I have the forensics people sweeping the area. The body is being prepped for transfer back to MegaTokyo."

"Good. Any opposition?"

"No. The place is very quiet."

"Staff?"

"We've been finding bodies all over the place. Most have gun shot wounds."

"What about his wife and son?" Domino asked. It was one thing to have your staff killed, but your own family was an entirely different matter.

"We have not found them yet."

"I see. I want you out of there as soon as possible. I need you here, but see if you can at least get a lead on where his family might be. Put someone competent in charge of hunting them down."

"Hai."

"Take care. I will talk to you later," Domino said, then cut the connection. She opened a new one. "Tetsu-san, give me your report."

Haruko, who was in a supposedly deserted factory complex, looked at the camera. "You were right. They were modifying the construction boomers, better armour, no built in weapons. There are also forty AI chips unaccounted for."

"Possibly forty more boomers out there then," Domino said softly.

"Odotte-san, there is something else."

"What?" Domino asked.

"We found a small production line, but I can't identify what type of boomer they were building. We also found some strange material; the analyser identified it as 'Abotex'."

"Abotex? Are you sure of that?"

"It's what the computer says. It's rated as poor quality."

"Take pictures of everything and send them to me right away. Sweep through the factory just to make sure it is clear and then destroy it."

"Destroy it?"

"Destroy it. Make sure that nothing is left."

"Hai."

"Meet up with Sheffield-san as soon as you can. I want you both back here as soon as possible."

"Hai."

Domino cut the connection and then leaned back in her seat. Abotex. Grown in zero gravity to exacting standards, it was one of the best armours in existence. Poor grade Abotex was used in the armour of the Dobermans. Hopefully that was what Komatsu had had built. The other possibility was not something Domino liked to consider.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the beeping of her desk phone. She reached forward and picked it up.

"Odotte-san, the Chairman would like to see you," Quincy's chief secretary said. She hung up before Domino could respond.

Domino hung up the phone and got to her feet. She knew what Quincy wanted to see her about. She had expected him to call her to his office earlier.

The outer office of her office suit was empty, the rest of her staff having gone home. She left her office suite, stepping out into the corridors of the Tower. She moved quickly, making her way to the elevator that would take her to Quincy's office. She was almost there when Katherine Madigan caught up with her.

"I would like to talk to you Odotte-san," she said.

"I understand why you would," Domino said to her. "Quincy-shachou has just called me to his office though. There is a possibility that what you want to speak with me about will not matter in short order."

Katherine said nothing for a moment, then she nodded. "If you are not told to stop this I want to talk with you."

"I'll come to your office as soon as Quincy-shachou is finished with me."

"Good," Katherine said, nodding. "I will see you then." She turned and walked off.

Domino watched her go for a moment, then turned to the elevator and pressed the call button. As soon as she did so the door opened. Domino stepped in but did not press any of the floor buttons. The elevator would take her where she had to go.

Several seconds later Domino was stepping out of the elevator and into the short corridor that led to Quincy's office. She walked past the boomer honour guard standing there. As she approached the doors they opened, giving her a little more space than she would need to pass through. A sign of respect Domino noted as she stepped through.

"You have upset a lot of people today Odotte-kun," he said as soon as she had entered the office.

"It was unavoidable," she told him, stopping just inside the doors.

"I am aware of that. You have been in contact with your agents in Brazil. What have they told you?"

Domino suspected that Quincy already knew, but she made her report, all of it. Quincy listened and when she had finished he nodded. "It is time for you to bring the rest of the senior executives into this. You will start with Madigan-kun."

"Hai Shachou."

"I find your work with the ADP curious."

"I feel it is necessary, and it is for the good of Genom."

"Yes. It may be. I will not support you in this Odotte-kun, nor will I oppose you. It will be up to you to convince the other executives that this is the proper course of action."

"Hai, I will," Domino said. It was a little better than she had expected. She had thought she would have to convince Quincy of the value of her present course of action.

"Once you have your agents full reports on the boomers you will inform me of your conclusions."

"Hai."

"You may go now."

Domino bowed low, then stepped back out of the office. Once she was clear of the doors they closed. She turned and walked towards the elevator. She was going to need Madigan's help if she were to continue with her plans. There was one way to do so. She was going to ask Madigan to help her. 'All you have to do is ask,' Domino thought as she pressed the call button for the elevator.

* * *

"So, you're not going to go to the big party," Shiroko said as she unlocked the functions on the sighting system. The one hundred rifles had been delivered, as promised. She and Leon were getting them ready while Tylor Yamanaka, up in his office, looked over the contracts that Genom had sent with them.

"Daily will handle that crowd better, and I didn't have anything to wear," Leon told her as he packed away the sight that Shiroko had finished with.

"Probably would have been a lot of fun. Good food and booze all around." She hit the return key on the computer and watched as Nene's program began unlocking all the functions of the sight.

"With what has been dropped in our laps today I couldn't have enjoyed it anyway. Bad policy to get legless when you might have a boomer rampage rolling through town."

"I suppose," she said as she pulled the leads from the sight and handed it to Leon.

A banging on the door to the weapon lockup made both Leon and Shiroko look up. "McNichol, let me in there right now!" they heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Asako," Leon said. "Sounds mad."

"Is there a time she is not mad?" Shiroko asked.

"If there is I don't know about it." Leon got to his feet and walked to the locked door. "What is it?" Leon asked with a light tone.

"Don't play games with me McNichol. Open that door!"

"She's very unhappy," Leon said softly, then he unlocked the door.

Asako pushed in, her eyes flashing, the scar on her face making her look very fierce. She looked around the room, taking everything in, then turned her attention back to Leon. "Explain."

"What?"

"What are all these things? Why are we getting deliveries from Genom? What are you up to? What is Genom up to!"

Leon moved past her then closed and locked the door. "It's somewhat difficult to explain," he told her. "Genom is going to need our help."

"Our help?" she said incredulously. "We don't help Genom. We hinder them."

Leon was not to certain that he agreed with Asako's opinion on the ADP's task, but decided he did not want to get into the argument with her at that point. "A large number of boomers have been stolen from Genom, including some of the D-class tank killers. They suspect that they are in the city, and they want our help in dealing with them. To that end they have given us these sniper rifles, and other things."

"You believe that? Are you an idiot McNichol? This is just one of their tricks!"

"Perhaps you should calm down Asako-chan," Shiroko said from where she sat by her computer. Leon looked over at the weapon boss and noticed she was holding a sight in one hand and one of the sensor pods in the other. The pod was pointed at Asako. Leon had little doubt to what she was up to.

"Excuse me Roberson?"

"Coming in here and yelling at Leon just because you have a major hate on for Genom and have not been laid since the Meiji Restoration is not helping anyone."

Asako stared at Shiroko, a look of complete disbelief on her face. She was obviously at a loss for words.

"I don't know if Genom is giving us the full truth, or even any of it, but we can't take a chance on this. If they want to lend us a sniper rifle that will rip a boomer to pieces and give us the ammunition we have been begging for, then I am happy. We're not stupid. We know that Genom might be pulling something, and we are considering it. Hell, Daily is going to be at that party tonight pumping people for information."

"Can't you see what Genom is doing?" Asako's voice took on an almost pleading tone.

"Can't you?"

Asako did not answer.

Shiroko lifted her eyes from the sight and shifted her odd, red eyes to Asako. Asako took a step back. "If you are not part of the solution Yamano-kichou, then you are part of the problem."

Asako turned on her heel and walked to the door. She tried to yank it open, not realising it was still locked. She was trembling slightly.

Leon reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What?" she demanded, spinning on him.

"Can you do us a favour?"

"You want me to do you a favour?" she said, disbelief obvious in her tone.

Leon reached out and picked up a metal ammo case. "We separated out about a thousand rounds worth of the APDS ammo, a random choice. Could you test this, make sure it is all what Genom promised.

Asako said nothing; she just reached out and took the heavy case. She turned, calmly, unlocked the door, and then opened it. She looked back at Leon. "You better be right," she said, then left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

"I thought we were going to get to blow off those rounds," Shiroko said.

"She needed it more," Leon told her as he locked the door.

"You're one of the nice guys Leon. If it wasn't for the fact I don't like nice guys I'd be all over you."

"Thanks," Leon snorted as he turned to face her. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"I saw what you were doing. What's the story?"

Shiroko smiled. "Black lace bra, matching, French cut panties and cobwebs between her legs.

Leon could not help laughing.

* * *

Sylia looked at herself in the mirror, pleased with how the dress looked. The jewellery had, as Azuki-san had suggested, been just what she had needed. She turned slightly, looking at herself in profile. Yes, very nice.

"Neesan," Mackie said from the doorway. "The limousine is here."

Sylia nodded as she turned towards Mackie. "You look very nice," she said to him. He did. The tuxedo he had chosen was a more modern design, probably a Hiroshi Design, or maybe an Armani. He wasn't wearing a bow tie with it, though he was not meant to. The white shirt did not have a collar that would have allowed for any tie to be worn.

Mackie smiled, looking inordinately pleased by the compliment. "It's prêt à porter," he told her.

Sylia nodded as she walked towards him. "You'll overshadow many of the other men tonight," she told him.

Mackie's smiled broadened and Sylia smiled as well. It was enjoyable to be just sister and brother, to be concerned with something as unimportant as clothing. For a moment one could almost forget the other side of their lives.

They left Sylia's room. At the genkan(entrance) he helped her into her coat, then put his own on, a charcoal grey overcoat. A short time later, when they exited the elevator into the lobby of LADYS633, Mackie offered Sylia his arm. As Sylia took it she wondered just when her brother had learned so much about formal behaviour.

They crossed through the lobby, drawing a few stares and appreciative glances, and then out of the building to where their car was waiting. Mackie helped Sylia into the car then got in as well.

A moment later the car moved away from the curb, sliding smoothly into traffic as it turned towards the St. Regis hotel.

* * *

Linna smiled up at Devon as he helped her from the car. After a somewhat harried shopping spree, they had arrived at the St. Regis.

Linna knew she was looking good. At the salon she had had her hair styled, a manicure and pedicure as well as a few other things done. Then they had gone to get her an outfit for the night in a store connected to the salon.

While Linna had been getting her hair done several of the salesgirls from the clothing section had come in to look at her and to ask her a few questions. When Linna had entered the other store she had found several dresses waiting for her, each one perfect.

She had chosen a Mandarin Dress with a high neck and wonderfully daring slit that almost went up to her hip. The silk of the dress was almost black, and it was decorated with cherry blossom embroidery across the left breast.

She had also picked up her lingerie, shoes and some jewellery. Linna did not bother to ask what it all cost since Devon seemed happy to play, but she guessed she was probably wearing a few months rent, at least.

Fortunately since Devon did not care about it, Linna did not let it worry her.

As they walked towards the front entrance of the hotel Linna looked around. There were other people there, as well dressed as she and Devon, and there were reporters, and there were a number of protesters as well. One anti-boomer group or another. Or maybe one of the pro-Japanese groups who would see many of the foreigners associated with the boomers ejected from Japan.

The protesters were being orderly though, and a few police officers were there to make sure they remained that way.

"It looks like everyone coming to this banquet is well off," Linna said, looking around at all the well-dressed people.

"Anyone involved with boomers would have done very well for themselves," Devon told her. "Most of these people are at the top of their field."

"It feels kind of elitist," Linna said.

"That's because it is," Devon told her as he led her through the hotel's front entrance.

* * *

"Hurry up Nene-chan," Ali said as she walked from the parking garage.

"Hai," Nene said, increasing her pace slightly. It was a little difficult in the clothing she was wearing. The kimono was very formal, which it had to be. The colours were darker, which suited the winter. Nene had wanted to wear her pink kimono, but her mother had vetoed that idea. Not that the one she was wearing wasn't nice, she just did not care much for the darker colours.

While beautiful, it was a little difficult to move quickly in it, but Nene managed, her geta click clacking on the pavement, to catch up with her parents.

"For such a trendy girl you have old fashioned tastes," Ali told her daughter.

"I like kimonos," Nene said. "They're fun to wear."

"And you look very nice in them," Makoto told her.

Ali shook her head. "You just like the fact they hide her figure," she told her husband.

"I don't like men leering at my little girl," Makoto said simply.

"Tousan!" Nene said, her cheeks growing a little warm.

"Come along you two," Ali said. "I don't want to be late."

* * *

In the main ballroom of the St. Regis hotel a number of different individuals were gathering. Some were scientists, there to honour one of their most brilliant peers. There were business people, mostly Genom, high level executives. Some were just normal people.

The security was tight, not that many people noticed. Genom security, when it needed to be, was subtle. Surveillance probes tucked into any shadowy corner they would fit in, scanners in the doorways, boomers in Tuxedos sitting among the guests, blending in perfectly with the crowd. The Mark 3B C-class boomers had been designed for just that sort of task.

There were reasons for the tight security.

A number of the scientists were among the best and the brightest at Genom. The executives also demanded a certain level of protection. There had even been the possibility Quincy might attend; though it seemed unlikely as more time passed.

Sylia sat at her table, Mackie beside her, looking about the room. She knew the security had to be there, but could see little of it. She had pinpointed a few of the boomers close to her. They were a bit hard on the chairs they used and the creaking, as they sat, gave them away.

Justin sat across from her. He gave her a wink. Sylia nodded back.

A few tables away Nene and her parents were seated with two Genom executives, one of whom was Katherine Madigan, and one of the boomers, though no one was aware of that except for Katherine, who had arranged some of the security.

Justin got to his feet and walked to the podium at the head of the room. The conversations quickly dwindled off as everyone realised things were about to begin. Waiters and waitresses began to circulate about the room, opening bottles of beer, soft drinks and juice, then filling glasses for the coming toast.

"Good evening everyone. Thank you very much for coming here tonight. We are here to honour a man who was my friend and the friend of many in this room as well. He was also a genius. Stingray Katsuhito-sama changed the world with his work. A brilliant and dedicated scientist, we will not see his likes again for along time I fear." Justin picked up his glass. "Please stand," he said.

There was a squeak of chairs over the floor as people stood, the clinking of glassware as people picked up their drinks. Justin waited for it to die down. "I'd like to offer a toast to Stingray-hakase."

"Kampai," most of the people in the room said in unison. Glasses were brought together filling the room with the high chime of glass on glass. They drank and then sat down.

"Thank you," Justin said as he stepped down from the podium.

There were several other speakers, including Mackie, who made speeches of varying lengths and interest. Sylia was the last speaker for the night.

As Doctor Vinkman finished off his speech, Sylia drank the last of the water in her glass and then got to her feet. She nodded to the doctor as they passed and then she took her place at the podium.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to apologise if you find my speech a little boring," Sylia said, putting a little modesty into her introduction. "I don't think any of you will disagree with me if I say my father was a brilliant man. It is well known that he created the boomers, but what is less well known is that in doing so he abandoned his family, his children."

Sylia could sense the unease that her statement brought to the room. She really could not blame them. They were there to honour a friend and colleague, or perhaps for a free vacation paid for by various companies. Some were there at Sylia's invitation. Few if any wanted to listen to a young woman with a case of 'daddy didn't love me blues'. Sylia was not planing on forcing them to.

"I am not bringing that up because I am bitter, or angry, but because it needs to be said. The loss of my mother hit us all hard, and my father dealt with his grief by throwing himself into the research that did mean so much to him, but not more than his family. The truly tragic aspect of his death was that given a little more time, once he had gotten over some of his grief, he would have realised that others were hurting as well. Whatever else you might say of Stingray-hakase he was a loving father," Sylia told the audience. Tou-chama, sayonara(goodbye father), Sylia thought. She was surprised at that moment. She wanted to cry and almost did. The catharsis was much more intense than she could have ever imagined. She fought back the tears and continued.

"It is now more than ten years since he completed his work and gave the boomer to the world. The question we have to ask is 'would he have approved?'"

"The number of combat and security boomer models produced by Genom for marketing currently numbers 35. The known ones that is.

"A police force was formed to deal with boomer crimes in this city. I have invited a few members of that police force here tonight; they can tell you a little about boomers that you may not have known. Officer Arai Takuya for example can tell you about the boomer that forced him to retire.

"You might also want to speak with those who have lost family and friends to the boomer rampages that have happened in this city.

"As of two thirty this afternoon there were one hundred and twenty three conflicts in this world where boomers are involved in one way or another. If you believe the rumours then you can boost that number to one hundred and sixty one.

"There have been over three hundred assassinations that have been attributed to Boomers by various police agencies across the world. Increase that number to over seven hundred if you include investigations that are still going on.

"The boomer has become a symbol of fear in many parts of the world, to a lesser extent in this city. The number of lives lost is countless." Sylia paused to look about the room.

A number of uncomfortable looks, though most of the audience looked neutral or in some cases approving. She could see a few Genom types wearing their anger openly, but not the ones who counted. Madigan, the fast riser, Sousuke, the old boy, the survivor, and others all maintained calm facades, not impressed by her speech. They had buried other people who chose to speak out against Genom, never getting their hands, or Genom's name, dirty in the process.

"Would he have approved? No, not at all."

She took the glass of water from the podium and took a drink.

"But many of us here are scientists and we know that danger of pursuing our hypothesis without looking at the alternative.

"The question we also have to ask is would my father disapprove?

"We are standing in a city, a city that was destroyed by a quake of a magnitude that few could ever envision. The elevated highways and shinkansen tracks with their support pillars strengthened, buildings designed to take quakes three times the magnitude of the first great Kanto quake, all were torn apart. The fires added to the destruction.

"And yet we stand, in this city, with very few signs of the quake remaining, and some of the most impressive structures in the world have been built here. All because of the boomer.

"When you are talking to the members of the AD Police you might also want to talk with Shimoyachi Mariko-san. She can tell you about the fire fighting boomer that saved her and her entire family, at the cost of its existence, or perhaps life is the better term.

"You might also want to speak with Romanova Ali-san who can tell you about how the field of prosthetics has advanced with the coming of the boomer.

"Space, which was once a cold, inhospitable place, has been made that much more liveable with the work of the boomer. In factories orbiting the planet and in the Lagrange points, materials that once could only be dreamt of are made reality. Structures are being built on Mars and in the asteroid belt, bases have been completed on the moon.

"The number of lives saved or spared in one way or another by the boomer is also countless and it is also a symbol of hope.

"Would my father have disapproved?" she looked about the room.

"No.

"We stand at a cross-roads now. Where the boomer goes from this point on will be decided, to a greater or lesser extent, by all of us. We have been given a great responsibility and I can only hope we are up to it.

"Thank you very, very much." Sylia bowed slightly and stepped from the podium as the applause started.

Mackie hugged her as she reached the table; she smiled down at him as she returned the embrace. People crowded around, offering their congratulations. The wait staff began to move about the room, putting out the plates of food.

They would eat a little then move about the room, talking, networking, renewing friendships, sharing stories perhaps. Sylia looked around, wondering what might come of the night.

* * *

Sylia looked over the rim of her glass as one of the boomers she had marked earlier walked up to Katherine Madigan. They talked very quietly and it looked as if the boomer was given orders for it quickly walked out of the room. There were a few similar scenes in the banquet hall. Something was certainly up and it had the Genom executives, at least the ones who held real power, acting nervous.

"Excuse me, Stingray-san," someone said from behind her.

Sylia turned to find herself facing Ali Romanova. Nene was beside her.

"Romanova-hakase," Sylia bowed slightly.

"I just wanted to say thank you for inviting me and my family tonight," Ali said to her.

"Thank you for coming," Sylia said.

"Have you ever thought about continuing your Otou-san's research?" Ali asked.

"Pardon?"

"As I understand it you dropped out of University, but still are active in the boomer field to a small extent."

"Kaa-san," Nene said, looking a little embarrassed. "Gomen nasai(I'm sorry) Stingray-san," Nene said formally. "Kaa-san hates to see a woman not reaching what she thinks is her full potential." As she said that she had to repress a smile. It was nice to see that her mother could put even Sylia off her balance.

"Not at all." Sylia quickly regained her composure. "It is nice to know there are people who are willing to let themselves be concerned about others."

Ali nodded. "I'd also like the thank you for what you said."

"There is no need to thank me."

Ali bowed slightly. "I hope you have a good evening."

Sylia nodded as Nene and Ali walked away. She smiled slightly as she overheard Ali telling Nene that she could use Sylia as an example. Sylia was a little surprised. She had always thought that Nene was exaggerating when she talked about her kaa-san.

* * *

Katherine nursed her whisky, wanting to keep her wits about her in case anything happened. She resented having to be at the ceremony, though in other circumstances she would have enjoyed it. But the circumstances were such that she wanted to be at the Tower. She would have felt more in control there, safer as well. Also, she did not like the fact that Odotte had taken over much of the initial planning and preparation.

She had caught a lucky break, Katherine thought to herself, taking another sip of her drink. Most of the ice had melted and left the whisky much too diluted. She began walking towards one of the tables, laded with food and drink.

Odotte would do a good job, had been doing a good job since she had discovered the problem. Of course Katherine saw the value in that, the other woman had been involved in the operation since the beginning. She was the best person to leave in charge of it, for now. And while Katherine was a little threatened by Odotte's competence, she felt that they were still allies of a sort.

It had been Katherine, once it had been explained to her the value of re-arming the ADP, who had backed Odotte on that.

She would be glad when she could make a polite exit from the dinner. It would be at least another thirty minutes before she could go. Genom had to show the colours, as it were, she had to make sure she was seen.

Reaching the table, Katherine placed her glass down on a tray of discarded glasses and then took a clean one from another tray. She added a few ice cubes and then poured herself two fingers of Suntory special reserve. It wasn't Crown Royal, or Glenlivet, but it was nice enough to sip.

"Madigan-san, you are looking lovely tonight," someone said from behind her.

Katherine turned, a little surprised to see Daily Wong standing nearby. "Thank you Captain Wong, may I say that you are also looking very presentable." And he was. Katherine idly wondered how many women had mistakenly set their sights on the ADP captain.

"Thank you for the compliment. A pleasant evening, is it not?"

"Quite enjoyable."

"I've noticed that a number of people from Genom, yourself included, are acting a little distracted. I hope there is nothing wrong," he said, smiling.

"Of course not Captain Wong," she told him. "Though I've noticed some of the people from the ADP I would have expected to be here are not. Your friend, Captain McNichol for one."

"Something of minor importance came up," Daily said offhandedly. "Speaking of which, I did think more people from Genom would have been here."

"Something of minor importance came up," Katherine echoed his words.

They smiled at each other, politely, both knowing what was going on and impressed that the other was taking it so calmly.

"If you'll excuse me Captain Wong," Katherine said, then, after bowing slightly, walked away.

Daily watched her go then turned to the table, refilling his gin and tonic.

* * *

Nene had been waiting for a chance to talk to Linna and when it had come up she had moved quickly.

"Linna-san," she hissed quietly. "Who is that man you are with. He's not your date is he?"

Linna, a little surprised by Nene's sudden appearance and question, simply answered truthfully. "Yes."

"He's not the new guy you've been seeing?"

Again, Linna answered truthfully, without thought. "Yes."

Nene's eyes widened. "But he's so old!" Nene's tone was loud enough to draw a few stares.

Linna was a little taken aback by that. "He's not that old," she told Nene, careful to keep her voice down.

"He could be your grandfather," Nene said.

"He could not!" Even as Linna was saying it she realised that Nene was right. Devon was old enough to be her grandfather.

Nene was about to ask Linna if he had money, but decided it would be in very bad taste and very rudeand maybe get her hurt, even though Linna was a lot calmer than Priss. "What do you see in him?" she asked instead. A safer question by far.

"Well, I don't know," Linna said, not at all sure how to answer the question. "He's nice, and smart, and, well, he's very good looking."

"What?" Nene asked incredulously. She turned to look at Devon, her gaze lingering for a moment, looking beyond the age. "Okay, I'll give you that, but he's still old."

Linna, not liking how Nene was giving her the third degree decided to counter. "Well, he's got a lot of experience and he is great in bed. Really great." Well, at least Linna assumed.

Nene, as Linna expected, blushed slightly and shut up.

* * *

"So Priss-san, finally getting your shot at the big time," Takeru Inagaki said over the sound of the music.

"Looks like it," Priss told him. Takeru was the leader of another band, the 'Hoppers'. Both his band and hers had been playing the same sort of venuesthought Hot Legs had more prestige and Priss knew the Replicants were the much better banduntil recently. Now she and the Replicants were on their way up.

"Well, your sound has been getting more popular lately," he told her.

Priss forced a smile, keeping her temper. He had just called her a sell out. Probably made him feel better about himself. "I know. People have come to appreciate it," she told him, telling him that her sound had not changed.

"Yes, and with all the new fans you have coming to see you, you are more popular then ever."

Priss really wanted to hit him. She did not like people suggesting that she had sold out. She did not like it one bit. Takeru was not the first that night to make the subtle suggestion that her new found success came at the cost of her artistic integrity. "Thank you," Priss said, doing her best to sound sincere. "If you'll excuse me." She turned and walked away from him, moving through the crowd, being careful not to push her way through.

The warehouse floor was crowded. She had locked her living quarters up, and the studio, as well as moving her car and bikes outside, putting them under covers. A good thing. While Yuuko and the others had suggested it was not going to be a very large party, Priss had not believed them.

Even if they had kept the number of invitations down, word got around. As she had expected, the party had become more of a rave. She had been ready for that though, and had plenty of water out there, as well as getting some big friends to acts as bouncers just to keep things in control.

She was hoping that the police would not come to see what all the noise was about. Fortunately she still did not have any neighbours. As she moved through the crowd she looked around, trying to see if Miako had shown up. Still no sign of her. Priss was a little disappointed.

She found herself standing by the stage that had been knocked together earlier in the day. The Replicants had been playing on and off for the evening, but so had a few other bands. Priss jumped up onto the stage, moving towards the mike. Minako Shizuma looked at Priss and waved her band, 'The 5 Kittens', quiet. The 5 Kittens were an all-female jazz combo, mixing their music with other styles to get a sound that could get anyone moving.

Priss nodded thanks to Minako then moved up to take the microphone. "Hey!" she called out. "Having fun, drinking my booze and making a mess of my place?"

Loud laughter from the crowd, a few shouts of appreciation as well. Priss nodded. "Glad to hear it. Listen, I feel like singing right now. Any sign of my band out there?"

"Yo," Takeshi called out as he moved up onto the stage, towards his drum kit.

"Give me a second!" Norio called out as he began to push through the crowd.

Priss looked about, wondering if Yuuko was around. She had been sulking since Leon had called her to tell her that he would not be able to make the party. He had not told her why of course, but Priss was pretty certain she knew what was keeping him busy.

"Need a little extra sound?" Minako asked.

"Sure. Give me what you got."

"We'll blow the roof off the place."

Priss nodded, smiling. The Kittens had two saxophonesan alto and a tenora coronet, a bass and a keyboard. The horns would really punch up the music, and if Yuuko was off sulking she still had a bass.

Yuuko did show up, as did some weird guyPriss never learned his namewith and electric violin. It took all kinds, Priss thought as she took centre stage.

"Okay, this is one of my older songs. Not much polish, but you'll like it," she told them. She looked over at Norio and mouthed the words, 'Don't you look at me.'

Norio rolled his eyes but he started on the opening riff. Takeshi picked it up and began beating out the rhythm. Minako and the rest of her band, who had known Priss longer, came in before Yuuko. The guy with the violin came in last, adding the odd, high pitched wail of his instrument to the sound. Priss found it oddly fitting.

Once she was certain they all had it she began to sing;

_"Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
Who are you to Judge?  
Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
You think you do but you don't understand."_

Priss was yelling the lyrics; it was the way she had written it. It was an angry song. An 'I don't care' song. It had been a long time since she had played it, and she was directing it at a different target than she once had. Let them listen to this and still see if they think I sold out, she thought angrily.

_"This cold hard city really crushes you down,  
You run and you fight as you go around.  
Well there's nothing for help and no one to save,  
Grasp for money and power but its freedom I crave!_

_Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
Who are you to judge?  
Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
You think you do but you don't understand."_

Priss moved back from the mike, swallowing to moisten her throat. She let the others play with the music, listened as the Kittens wrapped their horn music around the guitars, listened as the violin found notes that she would never had thought to have added. I've got to learn how to play one of those, Priss thought to herself. And behind it all Takeshi kept pounding out the rhythm.

Taking one more swallow Priss moved back to the mike.

_"No place to live and no one who'll care,"_ she shouted 'care' even louder, Norio, Takeshi and Minako added their voices to the word as well.  
_"So I'll ride to I'm numb in the freezing air._  
_I'll live by my rules, I don't give a damn,"_ again, damn was shouted, and the rest of the band and even some of the audience adding their voices.  
_"I can't be weak cause the lion kills the lamb!_

_Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
Who are you to judge?  
Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
You think you do but you don't understand._

_Offhand charity and empty talk's all we get,  
All we need is to die and we'll be set.  
Dark and morbid thoughts are all that remains.  
You don't have much choice when you're bound in chains._

_Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
Who are you to judge?  
Don't you look at me,  
Don't you look at me!  
You think you do but you can't understand."_

And that ended it. Sudden. Cutting off. Norio had given the rest of the musicians who might not have known a cut signal, drawing his finger across his throat.

Cheers and applause followed. Norio reached over and handed her a bottle of water, smiling at her. Priss smiled back as she took it. For the time being everything was forgotten, there were no tensions between them. That was what Priss really liked about Norio. He lived to perform on stage. As long as he was in front of an audience he did not care about anything else.

She twisted the cap off the bottle, downed half the contents then looked over at Norio. "Mad Machine!" she shouted over the applause.

Norio smiled, nodded and then began to play. Priss turned towards the mike, ready for the next song.

* * *

Priss sang for almost two hours before she and the rest of the musicians ended the performance. The DJ took over then, filling the factory with recorded music. She was pretty good, Priss admitted to herself as she took a towel someone handed her and used it to wipe the perspiration from her face. Of course live music was still better.

She looked around, noting that more people had come into the factory since she had stepped up on the stage. Things were still under control, thought there would be a huge mess to clean up the next day. That was one of the benefits of the concrete floorit was easy to clean.

Still no sign of Miako though.

"Interesting songs," a familiar voice said from her side.

Priss turned and was quite surprised to discover Ali Romanova standing near by. She looked out of place, being older than most of the other people there, and she was dressed very formally. "What are you doing here?" she asked over the dance music.

Ali smiled. "Nene-chan asked us to drop her off after the ceremony we were at ended. Makoto and I decided to see what the younger set were up to these days."

Priss looked around. "Where is Makoto-san?"

"He's talking to some people about their bikes. You've been a bad influence on him."

"Sorry," Priss said loudly, then she looked around. "Come on. Let's go somewhere quiet."

Ali nodded and followed after Priss.

They moved through the crowd towards the stairs that led up to Priss' living area. There were some people sitting on the stairs, using them as benches. Priss started up them, moving politely between the people. Near the top was a large man, his back to her, effectively blocking the stairs.

"Want to move it?" Priss said loudly.

"Want to keep your teeth?" he said, turning to look at Priss. On seeing whom it was his eyes widened. "Priss-san, I'm sorry, ah, sorry," he said, quickly moving to the side.

Priss nodded and pushed past him. Ali looked at the man as she went by noting respect warring with fear in his eyes. Interesting, she thought.

At the top of the stairs Priss unlocked her door and ushered Ali into the apartment, then followed after her. Once she shut the door most of the noise from below was cut. The quiet was a little surprising.

Ali removed her shoes and then stepped out of the genkan. "It looks very nice," she said, looking about the entry area.

"Thanks," Priss told her, kicking off her shoes, stepping up into her apartment. "This way," she told Ali, leading her to the living room. "It is still a bit sparse in here."

"Where did you get the piano?"

"It was a gift," Priss told her.

"From a secret admirer?" Ali asked, something odd in her voice.

Priss looked over her shoulder at Ali, a little surprised that Ali had asked the question and by the way she looked, just like Nene would if she were asking the same question. "Maybe," Priss said.

"It looks very nice," Ali said, taking on her more familiar tone.

"I'm glad to have it. Here," Priss grabbed a cushion and tossed it on the floor. "Have a seat."

Ali nodded as she knelt down on the cushion. Priss followed suit, but knelt on the floor without the padding. "I'm a little surprised to see you here," Priss said.

"Well, I admit there is more to my visit than just wanting to see what the younger generation is up to, which admittedly is not that great of a surprise. You left a little abruptly."

"The place was ready," Priss told her.

Ali nodded, then sighed. "I don't think I like the fact that you are here alone."

"People are always dropping by, now that I got the space."

"That's not quite what I meant."

Priss looked at Ali for a moment before speaking. "Romanova-san, you can't be my mother. Perhaps we'd both like it to be otherwise, but there is nothing we can do about it."

Ali was silent for a few seconds. "Then can I at least be your friend?"

"If you can put up with me. I often tell my friends to leave me alone."

"Do they?"

"Most of the time."

"I'd be one of those friends that would refuse to leave you alone you know."

"I'm not surprised," Priss laughed.

"And I don't think that living alone is what you need. You're still very young."

"I stopped being young a long time ago," Priss said as she got to her feet and walked over to the piano.

"I'm not so sure."

Priss took a seat at the piano and uncovered the keys. _"I'm all out of faith,"_ she sang softly. _"This is how I feel. I'm cold and I am shamed. Lying naked on the floor."_

"You often turn to music don't you?" Ali got to her feet and walked over to the piano.

"It's always been there."

Ali reached into her purse and removed a small disk that placed it in front of Priss. "You might like this."

Priss picked it up and looked at the neat katakana characters written on the surface. "Sutan Rojaasu, Mari Eren Kaataa," she read out loud.

"A folk musician. I think you'll find that song interesting." Ali turned and walked over to look at the pictures on the wall.

Priss looked at the disk, and then at Ali, still not sure how to deal with the woman. Part of her wanted to throw her out and never see her again. Another part of her wanted to take full advantage of everything that Ali was offering. Would she simply hover between the two extremes or might she drift to one extreme, over time?

"What does the 'S' stand for?" Ali asked.

"Pardon?" Priss looked up from the disk towards Ali. The older woman was standing near one of Priss' framed concert posters.

"The 'S' in Priss S. Asagiri."

Priss was a little surprised by the question. She did not think anyone had asked her that, except in a professional manner when she was getting licenses and such. "Saki," Priss told her.

"Saki?"

She nodded. "It's my first name in the Family Register."

Ali looked curiously at Priss, then walked over to her. She reached into her purse and brought out a pen and a piece of paper. "What are the kanji."

After a moment Priss took the pen and paper. She put a few sheets of music on the piano to protect the surface, then put the paper that Ali hand given her on them and began writing the kanji down. First the 'sa', early, followed by the 'ki', era.

"Early era?"

Priss nodded.

"Asagiri Saki, morning mists of the early era. That's very beautiful you know."

Priss shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't used that in a long time."

"Why not?"

"It's not important."

Ali thought it would be wise not to push, but she pushed anyway. "There has to be a reason."

Part of Priss wanted to start screaming, to tell this woman that it was none of her 'God damn business' and tell her to leave. She did not though. "Saki Asagiri was weak. She could not have survived."

Ali smiled sadly. "I don't think there is that much difference between Priss and Saki." Ali turned and walked towards the exit. "Maybe you should try to find Saki again. You might find you misjudged her."

Priss watched Ali walk away, listened to the sound of the door opening and closing as she left. She might never understand that woman. She looked between the paper with her official first name written on it and the disk that Ali had given her. She reached for the disk, thinking to play it, then realised she should really be taking care of the party.

She closed the cover over the keys as she got to her feet. She would have to listen to the recording later. And give Ali's words some thought.

* * *

"I can't believe that you okayed all those equipment transfers to the ADP," Manabe Takeo almost shouted.

"As you have stated before," Domino replied calmly.

"There is no point in arguing this. It has been done and the Chairman has not seen fit to undo it," Katherine said, growing a little tired of Manabe's complaints.

"There is value in making sure the ADP have the weapons they need to deal with this problem," Kenji Sosuke said softly.

"While that may be true," Samantha Johnson said, "I do not think that the ADP should have been given the GW-14s."

"They'll need them. In fact I've sent another fifty units to them, as well as more ammunition."

"What?" Samantha looked very surprised. "Why would you do that?"

"Because of these," Domino said, skimming a number of photos and reports across the desk towards her. "Because we know what this means."

"While I'll admit the information your agents uncovered is worrisome, we don't know for sure that your conclusion is correct," Noboru Pitou, a new member of the boardhe had replaced Harry Chinsaid. "Perhaps we should have been more careful about handing the ADP such resources." Noburo was middle aged, a man who had made his place in Genom in Hokkaido. Rather plain looking, and he sometimes effected a backwards, country bumpkin aspect amongst people he thought he might fool. He did not try it with those he sat with.

"And why are we bothering with the ADP anyway?" Marino Misawa demanded. "We have the resources to deal with this problem ourselves." Marino had replaced Rano Yami on the board. She was one of the younger members of the group, though she looked older than Domino. While there was no doubt she was brilliantshe had until recently been running a branch of Dirty Tricks out of the Okinawa branch of Genomshe was somewhat naïve about certain things.

Kenji looked embarrassed. He had put forth Marino's name as a replacement for Rano and was, to an extent, responsible for her. "Misawa-san," he said softly. "The last thing we want anyone to know is just what Genom is capable of in situations like these. It may worry people. It is one of the reasons the ADP is around."

Marino's face flushed every so slightly. "I understand," she said. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry," Katherine said simply. "It is an understandable mistake." Katherine had decided to cultivate Marino's support, if possible. "Now, while we may disagree about what was done with the ADP, we still have a problem. Odotte-san, do you have any more information about the situation in Brazil?"

"Very little at this moment. I have called my agents back, but there are still people working on this. We are still searching for Seiroku-san's family, we hope to find them alive. I have forensic accountants looking at his books, and we are doing a full inventory check."

"You should also look into personnel transfers," Mark Kaneda said as he took his cigarette case from his jacket pocket. "See if there was anyone he has recently moved into useful positions. The whole Brazil operation could be a mess."

"A good point," Katherine nodded. "Though I don't expect that the whole operation has been compromised."

"All you need is a few people in the right positions," Mark said, putting one of the cigarettes into his mouth. "What about Komatsu himself? Did he really kill himself?"

"My physician is performing the post-mortem. So far there is no sign that there was a struggle."

"Your physician?" Marino asked, disbelief in her tone.

"Misawa-san, are you objecting to the fact that I have a personal physician, or is it that you don't believe that I will give you the facts?" Domino asked, staring directly into Marino's eyes. She noticed, and was probably the only one, the slight change in the other woman's expression, something in the eyes, something that said she was backing down. Domino had expected it, been hoping for it. She also planned to cultivate Marino's support, but in a different way than Katherine.

"I meant neither," Marino said in an off-handed way. Not an apology, but as close as one might get in Genom. "I meant, does your physician have the necessary qualifications?"

"She does," Domino told her.

"If there is no new information concerning what happened in Brazil, we should move onto what is happening here," Katherine told them.

"Yes," Domino said. "What we have discovered so far, based on recordings we managed to acquire and people we have talked to, was that most of the cargo was moved off the ship in containers, or in covered pallets. The cargo was moved through the clearing house, and into trucks and then taken away."

"Did we get any licence plates?" Noboru asked.

"A number. In all cases we have tracked them to trucks that were supposed to have been sitting unused at the time the cargo was taken away."

"So they borrowed all the trucks they used. Clever," Mark said, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

"They would have needed drivers who would not ask many questions about what they were doing, perhaps had the ability to steal the trucks themselves," Samantha said, then lit her own cigarette.

"That is true," Katherine said, "and we have found a few of the drivers. Unfortunately they have not been of much help. They were all paid well, in cash. None of the ones we have interviewed saw what they were transporting. We did send teams to the places where they took their cargoes to, but found nothing."

"This is all very well organised," Kenji said, a soft cough disturbing his words. "We have to ask who is helping them. I would suggest that some of the Yakuza families may be involved."

"We have contacts within most of the Yakuza families," Marino said. "I could put out discreet inquiries, we should have answers, if there are any, in twenty four hours."

Katherine nodded. "Do so."

"What do we do if, when, this thing blows up?" Manabe asked. "I mean, how are we going to spin this?"

"Blame it on terrorists," Mark suggested. "It's mostly true, as far as we know."

"We could make a full disclosure," Domino said.

"Pardon?" Katherine asked. From the looks on the faces around her she was not alone in her surprise as Domino's suggestion.

"This is one case were it might be of use. Too much has happened lately, and while we have managed to set things in our favour, it is a precariously balanced house of cards. We tell the truth and we don't have to worry about the truth being used against us. It will not harm us."

"It will make us look weak," Kenji said.

"Not such a bad thing," Domino replied.

"How can you say that?"

"You might not worry so much about a enemy you perceive to be weak," Katherine said speculatively. "You might ignore them. Or if you attack them you might not come in with the strength you should. There may be some value in it. We will worry about that later though. For now we have to plan on how to deal with this problem, when or if it happens. We need to decide how to use our resources as subtly as possible. I'm sure you all have ideas so let us begin."

* * *

_"In the Province of Inba there was a girl, the daughter of a certain lay priest of noble family, whose hand was asked in marriage by many that had heard of her beauty. However, this girl ate nothing but chestnuts, never touching rice or other grain, and her parents therefore refused, saying such an unusual thing ought not to be seen by others"_  
-**Yoshida Kenkou**


	30. Fearful Symmetry 5

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (5 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Sylia smiled politely at the man who handed her the champagne glass. She was not sure who he was. He might be a specialist in artificial intelligences from MIT, or he could be the very young boy friend of the very old cybernetic expert from Oxford. It hardly mattered really.

She was at a party, a quiet gathering of certain people. Justin had arranged it, something for after the dinner ceremony. They had retired to a suite near the top of the Saint Regis and were now enjoying champagne, sparkling ice wine and strawberriesas well as the subtle and soft music provided by a three-piece, string group.

Sylia looked over at Mackie who stood among a group of young menall older than him by five to ten yearstalking mechanics. He looked to be enjoying himself, though that might have had something to do with the champagne he was drinking.

Justin moved close to her. He was smiling and probably a little drunk. "Everything went wonderfully, don't you think?"

"You should be pleased with yourself Bestar-san. I believe my father would have approved."

"I hope so," he said. "And what you said, it was perfect. I'm glad you agreed to talk."

"So am I," Sylia said after a moment of thought.

Justin nodded a little too enthusiastically. Sylia changed her assessment from a little drunk to drunk. "I have to go and talk to some other people," he told her, then walked off.

Sylia watched him go then began to move through the many people herself. She said little to any of them beyond what was demanded by politeness, and listened more than she spoke. There were a few interesting pieces of information she picked up while doing so.

The evening had gone well, as Justin had said, and Sylia had enjoyed it. The only negative to the evening was Linna's presence. It was not really that Linna was there, but the man she was with. She was not certain, but she thought it might be Devon Okami. It did not seem likely to Sylia that Linna would know the man, but Sylia would have to look into it. If he was Devon Okami, then some drastic measures might be required.

As it was she had called Fargo up during a private moment and asked him to arrange for some surveillance teams to keep a very subtle eye on Linna, and on a number of Sylia's own holdings. Those were minor things. If Linna were indeed involved with Devon Okami then the actions she might have to take would be anything but minor.

Sylia turned her thoughts away from that and back to the party. She owed herself a break from all her other worries.

* * *

Linna was not sure why she had not exited the limousine when it had pulled up in front of her building. She was not sure why she had suggested that they continue on to Devon's place. Perhaps it was just that in the short time she had known him she had become very interested in the older man. Or maybe it had to do with what she had told Nene earlier that evening.

Either way she had made the suggestion and not long afterwards they had walked into Devon's penthouse apartment.

It was a beautiful place, with antique furniture, a perfect mixture of the western and eastern. The high technology items like the entertainment centre and computers were either hidden within antique furniture, or had been rebuilt to fit in with the rest of the décor.

In his bedroom was a beautiful four post bed, partially screened with folding, painted, paper screens. Linna was to learn quite a bit about that bed.

They had said very little, both knowing where everything was going. Linna soon found herself naked on the bed, the cool, smooth feel of the silk sheets against her back. Devon was a very methodical love maker. In other men she may have found that a little bothersome, the lack of spontaneity, but Devon had a very effective method. Obviously one developed over time.

He knew exactly what to do, with his fingers and tongue and penis of course. He also knew how to produce various contraceptives, condoms, dental-dams, contraceptive foams and whatever else in such a way as to not disturb the flow of their love making. It was a little like watching a magician produce coins and cards from thin air.

She lost count of her orgasms, not that she was trying to count them. It all just sort of blended together into a warm, golden haze that left her feeling completely satisfied.

Of course she was not alone in that. She might not have had quite the experience that Devon had when it came to making love, but she had learned a few things in her time. Devon certainly was quite satisfied by the experience by the looks of things.

When it was over she lay partially atop him, her head on his chest. Devon gently ran one of his hands along her back, his fingers tickling up and down her spine. His other hand was nestled between her legs where he was careful not to over stimulate the still sensitive area.

Linna played her fingers through the greying hair on his chest. She noted the muscle under her fingers. Devon had some fat on him, but not much. The aerobics instructor in her thought it would not be too hard to remove that little fat, to tone the muscle there. Of course Devon did not really need it. He was quite handsome as it was.

Even as Linna was thinking about that she was also wondering if she had gone crazy. Devon was a man who had told her right out that he was not looking for any deep relationships, that he had two mistresses, and he was also much older than she was. Furthermore he was a member of Genom, high placed as far as she could tell.

Not a man a member of the Knight Sabers should have anything to do with.

Linna had been careful. She had watched to make sure that she was not under observation, or being followed. She had used the myriad of anti-eavesdropping devices that she had picked up or that Sylia had given her. She had also been careful to limit her contact with the other members of the Knight Sabers, just in case.

That had been made easier by her busy schedule and the schedules of the others.

She was fairly certain that there was no danger, that she was not being watched, that her relationship with Devon had not attracted any attention from people she would rather avoid.

Linna sighed softly as she closed her eyes. Things seemed too difficult.

* * *

**Saturday, March 25th, 1:39am**

Night brought a light show to the Tower. The powerful spots lighting it up, points of light from windows, elevators, doors, winking in and out as if it were some giant obsidian Christmas tree. Aircraft flew by it and vehicles climbed the road that circled it. It was a ballet of light.

Near the base people stared up at it. Tourists mostly, but even long time citizens of the city sometimes reacquainted themselves with the structure that had come to dominate the city's skyline. Even so late, with the cool March winds, there were still people who would stare at it.

The Lonely Planet guide to Japan, and a number of similar guidebooks, said that the Genom tower at night was a sight not to be missed. Every evening saw gathering crowds as people watched one of the wonders of the modern world take on its night time appearance.

A kilometre from the Tower, on top of a ten-story building, a lone figure watched the huge building. It was the first time he had ever come to the city, but he had seen it before in a way he still did not completely understand. He was a tall, slim man with long brown hair that went below his shoulders. He had sharp features and narrow eyes.

A gust of wind caught his coat and hair, giving them a semblance of life for a moment. Douglas Meren shivered in the wind that cut through the sweater and jeans he wore. He did not like the city. He did not like the Tower. He did not like the pain in his head, the nightmares, the compulsions and what he did. At the same time he loved them.

He no longer was sane. He knew that, but somehow it did not matter. There was a certain liberation when one gave up the tight confines of sanity. He felt more alive then he ever had in his life before. It was odd then that he wanted to die. That was the way things had been since the cool caress of those long, beautiful fingers had burnt into his mind. And he still loved him, which was the oddest thing of all.

Not that Largo had ever loved him. No, there had never been a chance of that. Largo's love had been tied up and twisted into a viscous circle with HER. But he had feigned love well for a time, his perfect body, and his beautiful, cruel face with eyes that saw into one's soul. Douglas felt himself get hard, his tight jeans pressing on his erection. It was an enjoyable feeling, as were the memories.

And while Largo had left him he had given him a gift. A gift to keep him loyal to the cause. A gift to chase away the nightmares and to sometimes to make him forget. His mistress and slave.

On the third floor of the building he stood upon, a young man slept in the hotel room bed. A pretty man, who almost had the right features, almost looked like him. If he had looked anything more like Largo than he might have destroyed that pretty face. He had done it before, when the nightmares came on too strong.

There were no nightmares now. Hopefully never again. Hopefully it would all end soon.

He would have to return to the room on the third floor, to his pretty man who was costing him the equivalent of several hundred dollars American, but for the time he was happy to stand atop the building in the cold wind, staring at the Tower.

For a little while, as the wind whipped his hair about, he considered going to see Rei but he would not. He took her wherever he went, but he tried not to spend too much time with her. She represented everything about his life that he hated. But he could not bear to be far from her. Could not bear to be away from her if the nightmares came back.

He hated and loved her at the same time. In a way he could not help but feel was proper.

Tomorrow, he turned his thoughts away from Rei. It would happen tomorrow, today in fact, he thought, looking at his watch. Things would be over soon. One way or another.

* * *

**March 24th, Friday, 11:42am, New York City**

The bar was reached through a set of stairs that led down from street level. It was a quiet, expensive place located in the financial district. At a table near the unoccupied piano sat two women. One looked to be in her early thirties, perhaps a little older. The other one was younger, perhaps nineteen or twenty.

The older one wore a pants suit; her blonde hair was cut short. The younger wore a long skirt with a peasant blouse; she wore her brown hair down to her waist.

When the bell above the front door rang out both women looked up from their coffees. Another woman had entered the bar. Michelle Danielson did not resemble the woman who had escaped from Aphros Industries. She had shaven her head. It made her look younger. She had had her eyes removed, replaced with cameras, and then mirrored lenses permanently bonded over those cameras.

She wore a tight, short leather skirt with fishnet stocking and a white blouse. The black pumps were covered in stains from the snow. She was shivering slightly from the cold that she was so poorly dressed for. When she entered the bartender looked up and appeared as if he was about to say something, but was not sure what.

Michelle ignored him as she crossed the floor to the table where the two women sat. She pulled out a chair and then took a seat.

"My, what an interesting look," Alice said softly.

"The better that they don't recognise me my dear," Michelle said.

Alice nodded. "Cassandra?"

"They are looking for two, and she is harder to disguise than I."

Alice nodded and looked over at her companion. "Nancy, go get us some fresh coffees."

"Yes ma'am," Nancy said as she got to her feet. Standing it was easy to see how tall she was, a little taller than the average male in her stocking feet. In the three-inch heels she wore that height seemed even greater.

"How are you doing?" Alice asked.

"Not good," Michelle said. "They know who I am now. All I can do is run."

"We're working on that."

"I know you are, but there is not much you can do."

Alice said nothing for a time, waiting until Nancy returned to the table with three fresh mugs of coffee. Alice picked hers up and took a drink, savouring the soft after-taste of the whisky in it. She had been drinking much more since that day HE had come into her life. She placed the cup on the table and looked at Michelle. "Douglas and Komatsu have made their move."

"Komatsu?"

"Sorry, I forgot you never met him. He is, was, the chief of Genom's Brazil operations."

"Was?"

"He's dead now."

"Lucky for him."

Alice frowned. She did not like hearing things like that. They all too often reflected dark, dangerous thoughts of her own. She took a long drink from her coffee mug. "Douglas is heading the operation in Japan right now."

"How is it going?"

"We're not sure. Something seems off in the way Genom is reacting to this."

"They are aware of this operation?" Michelle asked, a little surprised. "I thought Douglas would have managed to keep everything quiet."

"Not this time, which is part of what I wanted to speak to you about."

"What?"

Alice sighed. She did not like doing the things she was doing. "I think we need to kill someone."

"Who?" Michelle asked, more used to such ideas. She had the necessary contacts to arrange things.

"We're getting reports on a Genom Executive who is not acting as we would have expected. She's an unknown and therefore dangerous to us."

"Who?"

Nancy reached into her purse and removed an MMSD. "Her name is Domino Odotte," Nancy said, placing the disk on the table in front of Michelle. "That is all the information we have on her. It is not much," she said apologetically.

Michelle put her handbag on the table, opened it and then put the disk into it. "I'll see what I can do. Anything else?"

"No, that should be it."

Michelle nodded and then stood, picking up her coffee cup at the same time. She drank it down rapidly then placed the empty cup on the table. "Take care," she said as she picked up her handbag and then turned and walked towards the exit.

Alice watched her go then turned to Nancy. "Are we ready to go?"

"All the arrangements have been made as you requested."

"Good," Alice said as she got to her feet.

* * *

**Saturday March 25th, 2:01am, MegaTokyo**

Akiko had not been in Domino's office when she had returned from her meeting with the other executives. Domino was not concerned and had found her close by, in the lounge. She was seated at the piano, playing softly. Kentaro stood behind the bar, polishing glasses and politely not watching Akiko.

Domino walked close to stand over Akiko.

"I've never had a chance to try this before," she said as she played a very simple tune.

"You show promise,' Domino said. She guessed that Akiko had played through the scales a few times and then had begun to reproduce tunes she had heard. It would not have been difficult for her. She was designed with perfect pitch after all.

"Move over," Domino said. Akiko did as she was told and Domino took a seat beside her. "Listen," Domino said, and then began to play each note, naming it as she did so.

Akiko watched, taking in everything. When Domino had finished teaching her the complete scale she moved on, brining out some sheet music from a discreet cabinet close to the piano.

With the sheet music she explained musical notation to Akiko, showing her how it corresponded to the scale. Finally she produced a very simple duet and she and Akiko played it.

It took a little over an hour to get that far, and some might see it as time wasted, but to Domino it was just a little time invested in ensuring she had Akiko's loyalty.

"You play very well," Akiko said as Domino put the sheet music away.

"I suppose," Domino said, a little surprised by the compliment. She had never played the piano before, but Mason had had lessons. His parents had wanted him to be as well rounded as possible, possessing as many skills as possible. Piano was just one of them, though he had never been particularly good at it. No passion as one of his teachers had put it.

Domino wondered if she might be able to excel where he had failed? She shook her head. There was no time for that. "Come along," she said to Akiko, leading her from the lounge back to her office.

"I want you to look over these plans," Domino said, handing Akiko an MMSD once they were in her office. "They are actions and reactions we may take depending on the situation that arises. Give me a full report on them and how they might be improved."

"Hai," Akiko said.

"Where's Tetsu-san?"

"She is sleeping in your apartment. I told her it would be all right."

"Good,' Domino nodded. "If you need her help wake her, but otherwise let her sleep. She'll need to be sharp if anything happens."

"I understand."

"Good. If you need me page me on my NAVI. I will be in Misawa-san's office, speaking to her."

"I think I could help you in any matter that Misawa-san could," Akiko said.

"I am not going to pick her brains in the matter of dirty tricks," Domino said as she stood. "I am going to ensure that she is one of my supporters."

"Isn't that a dangerous move, especially as Misawa-san is still an unknown in many things?" Akiko asked, a natural protectiveness coming to the fore.

Domino smiled slightly at that. "Normally yes, but not in this case." Domino walked towards the door. "I should be back in an hour."

Akiko watched her go then turned her attention to the MMSD. She had work to do.

* * *

Saturday morning dawned in MegaTokyo much like it always did. By eight many of the city's citizens were on their way to work or getting ready to go. The schools were quiet, but only because the students were off on the break between the end of the last school year and the beginning of the next.

There were places where things were not proceeding as they usually did.

The Tower was busy as subtle preparations were made for the coming trouble. The view of those who were involved in the planning was that things would happen soon. The longer their opponent waited the more chance his, hers, or their forces might be discovered and dealt with.

The ADP was also getting ready, having come to the same conclusion as the Tower. Leon had called on both Vanessa and Tsuyoshi to make sure the city's other police forces were ready, and in order to gather up bodies. Genom had sent another fifty of the sniper rifles over, and Leon had found himself desperately short of shooters.

The ADP of course had well over one hundred and fifty members, but not all of them could be dedicated to sniper duty. From the other forces were coming people who had the necessary skills to do the job. The ADP had to get them up to speed on the SOPs they would be working under, as well as making sure their own people were ready to go.

Added to the problem was that they had to keep it all quiet. It would not do to panic the population of the city, or to give the SDF reason to mobilise. No one was happy with the way things were playing out, but they also knew they had little choice.

Sylia was also up and working. She and Mackie were prepping the hardsuits as well as all the motoslaves. Sylia suspected they would need the extra firepower.

Nene was working with Leon, finding him the people the ADP needed. She had come in early to make sure everything was taken care of because she was certain when things started she would have to leave.

Priss was still asleep at eight, but would be waking up shortly as she had work to do.

Linna had woken up beside Devon and had been treated to another round of lovemaking. Quicker than the previous night's, they both had places to be, but still satisfying.

As she showered afterwards she was not at all sure what she felt about the way things had worked out. In the cold stark light of the morning she was rethinking the previous night. She was not sure if she would ever want to do it again. After all, there was never going to be anything between them but a friendship, on Devon's terms, mixed with sex.

In a way it kind of made her feel like a prostitute, but she would not be having sex for money, but for the pure enjoyment of it. It was not the sort of relationship she thought she would like to be involved in, and yet...

Linna turned the shower off and grabbed a towel. It was all so confusing. She needed some time before she could think about it clearly.

She found the clothes she had been wearing for the dinner nearly packed away in a garment bag, waiting for her. Her other clothing had been laundered, her dancing things neatly packed away in her gym bag. Obviously Devon's housekeeping staff was very discreet. She had not been aware they were there.

She dressed quickly and left the penthouse, not seeing Devon on her way out.

* * *

"Who's he again?" Leon asked Nene as they walked quickly down the hall towards the main briefing room.

"Officer Hayama, he was on the biathlon team in the 2030 Olympics."

"Useful. Is he here yet?"

"Not yet. He's one of the ones we are having problems with."

"Damn," Leon said softly. "Here," he shoved his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a slightly battered visiting card. "Go give this Odotte woman a call. Tell her that we could use some help and if Genom has any pull they better use it."

"Hai," Nene said as she took the card. "I'll get right on it."

"Good."

Nene turned at one of the cross-corridors, heading back towards her office. Leon continued on the way he was going. He had to brief a lot of people and give them a familiarity course in the GW-14. It was going to be a busy day.

* * *

Domino cut the NAVI connection, frowning ever so slightly. While she had reasons for wanting to help the ADP, she had not expected members of the force to be calling her up and making demands. Of course she understood their reasoning and the request being made, perfectly understandable really. It was just after having memories of being so antagonistic to them, co-operating with them rankled in an odd way.

She looked over the list of names that had been sent to her, most of them members of the regular police department. Well, it would not take too long to convince the various individuals that they should allow the temporary transfers to take place.

She tapped a few keys on her NAVI, sending the list and the request onto Misawa-san. It was her kind of task, and Domino knew that she would do it. It was one of the reasons she had gone to visit the other woman.

Once she saw the message had gone through Domino folded her NAVI closed and got to her feet. She had many things to do, and only so much time to get it all completed. At least she did not need to sleep all that often.

When she exited her office she found Akiko waiting for her. "Are you ready Sheffield-kun?" Domino asked her.

"Hai, Odotte-san."

"Tetsu-kun," Domino said, looking over at Haruko.

"Hai?"

"Make sure those reports are finished when I get back."

"Hai."

Domino nodded and then turned and walked from her office, Akiko right behind her. Even with everything else that had come up, her office still had work to do. Fortunately Haruko was so far proving up to handling things for short periods.

The two women left the executive floors behind, taking an elevator down into the lower parts of the Tower. They had to transfer elevator cars three times, the last elevator a high security area. When they exited it they were in the war-rooms, the place where Genom developed weapon systems, and stored them. It was also the place where a number of operations were planned.

"I'm not sure that this is the best idea," Domino said to Akiko.

"You wanted ideas on how to increase our chances of success."

"I did not expect to have to put myself into a combat situation."

"You are suited to it."

"True enough."

They stopped in front of a sealed door. Akiko unclipped her ID card from her jacket and ran it through the card reader. A moment later the cover over a retinal scanner slid back. Akiko placed her right eye against the scanner. There was a beep and the door opened. Akiko stepped through and the door closed.

Domino slid her own card through the reader, then put her eye against the retinal scanner. There was a flash of light as the pattern of blood vessels within her eye was read. Of course her eye was not exactly like that of an organic human. The computer system knew that though, the facts about her encrypted and stored within data banks.

She waited a moment, wondering if she was cleared to be in the room beyond, whether she was considered a combat operative? The door opening told her that she was. She stepped through the door, which then closed behind her. She walked through a short hall and into a large, circular room. At the centre of the room was a stage, seats surrounded it on raised steps.

Akiko was waiting for her at the top of the steps. Together they descended to the lowest ring of seats. Domino spotted Azusa Saotome sitting nearby and directed Akiko over so they could sit beside her.

"Saotome-san," Domino said as she sat.

"Odotte-san," Azusa said, sounding a little surprised.

"I'd like you to meet one of my assistants. This is Sheffield Akiko-san. Sheffield-san, this is Saotome Azusa-san."

"I am pleased to meet you," Akiko said, bowing slightly before she took her seat.

"Thank you," Azusa said. She looked over at Domino. "This has something to do with yesterday doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"I don't suppose you'll let me in on it?"

"I'll let Tran-san explain it all."

Azusa nodded, not all that surprised by the answer.

The room continued to fill over the next few minutes as more operatives came in. There were a little over a hundred people, filling a quarter of the seats, in the room when Thomas Tran came in. He was a thin man, of average height, his short black hair touched with a little grey.

He was Chinese, born in Hong Kong fifteen years before the colony had been turned back over to Mainland China. His family had moved to England after the transfer, taking their fortune with them. He had joined the SAS and served with them for a number of years before Genom hired him.

He moved like the military man he was, his movements crisp and controlled as he walked down the steps to the stage. He limped slightly, but it was almost unnoticeable. He stepped up onto the stage then turned in place, surveying the people around him. "Good morning," he said. "I'm glad you could all be here. You will be needed." His tone was a little ominous.

"First of all, I want to get back to China as soon as possible, so when we go to work we do it right. No sloppiness. You are all professionals, make sure you act like it." He turned slowly again, looking at the people around him once more. Almost everyone there was left with the feeling he had been staring directly at him or her with a measuring glance.

"A large number of boomers have been stolen, and they are in this city, though we do not know the exact location. It is strongly believed that they will be used in an attack against this city, Genom in particular." He turned and picked up a remote from a podium on the edge of the stage. He pressed one button and a holographic projection took form in the middle of the stage.

"A construction boomer," he said, looking at the image for a moment. "One of the most ubiquitous boomers in the world. There were 260 of these that went missing. We all know that construction boomers, contrary to what the ADP and similar organisations might think, can be killed as easy as breathing. These ones may be different, however."

He pressed another button and the image changed slightly, the boomer's lines altering and an assault rifle appearing in its hands. "This is the likeliest modification that they have undergone. The armour would have been upgraded, combat programs loaded in and augmented with an external weapon." Another button on the remote highlighted the rifle. "It will probably be surplus but it is not impossible that they have been outfitted with more modern weapons.

"Next," he said as he pressed another button, "the fire-fighter." In the centre of the stage a projection of a fire-fighting boomer, at half scale, appeared. "There were 25 of these. As we all know the fire fighter is basically a combat boomer that has been tamed. The modifications that we are likely to face will be combat programming and some external weapons. My guess would be 5.56 mini-guns."

Thomas pressed another button on the remote. "The C-class boomer that we all know and love. Likely will be in disguise at first, may already be active in the city, getting a feel for things. There were forty-three of them. Find them, deal with them." He changed the image. "The D-Class, tank killer type. We are pretty sure that they possess neither the 125mm cannon, nor the missile packs, but we can't be one hundred percent certain. And we all know how hard it would be to pick up some old, heavy weapons and load these things down with them.

"There are 12 of these things, and that we are certain of. We keep a tight count of all of these. Now, the ADP has been given one hundred and fifty GW-14s, plenty of APDS ammo for their personal weapons and their vehicle cannons. They should be able to deal with this. We are here to make them look very good while doing it, and to keep civilian casualties and fatalities to a minimum, as well as make sure that the city is not too badly messed up. We are also here to deal with this," Thomas said as he used the remote again.

The hologram that formed on the stage was of a fearsome boomer few in the room had ever seen before. Some of the operatives drew back slightly at the boomers appearance. Its head and upper body were somewhat like that of a Doberman, but the shoulders and upper chest were much more bulky. The upper arm was large, flat, then two separate lower arms extended from it. One of those arms was an energy cannon, below that was an arm with a claw like hand. Four arms all together.

The armour looked like that of an insect, or the shell of a sea creature. It had an organic look to it. It had no legs, instead from its waist down was a powerful set of thrusters.

Thomas looked about the room for a moment, letting his audience take the boomer in. "This is a Flecks Space Superiority boomer, designed to protect Genom holdings in space. That's fine with me. I have no interest in fighting in space myself. The Flecks represents the current pinnacle of combat boomer technology.

"We'll be dealing with a variation of the Flecks, one that has legs." A press of the remote and the projection of the boomer changed. Gone were the thrusters, replaced by large legs. "It still has the thrusters in the upper body, so it can make some impressive leaps.

"This is a space model, so it does not work terribly well in gravity. That will slow it down some, but only when it comes to moving. Its reflexes will be as fast as ever. Remember that.

"It uses high grade Abotex armour, the sort of stuff that will let it take micro-meteorite hits without a scratch, and will turn some pretty impressive energy, both kinetic and light. This thing has two AI chips, one of them a dedicated combat processor. Even when a Flecks is powered down it is still considering how to destroy and kill everything around it. Even if its mission is protection, it still considers how to kill or destroy what it is protecting. When it actually rolls into combat, with both chips thinking about combat, it is a monster."

Thomas looked about again, turning completely around so he could take everything in. "I'm told that they way they had to link the two AI chips up kind of makes the Flecks crazy, as much as a boomer can be crazy. This is what we are here to deal with because God knows the ADP will not be up to this.

"We have caught a number of breaks though. One, it is using a lesser grade of Abotex, which means a GW-14, fired at the right place, with only a little luck, will breach it. It will take a little work, but you can bring one of these down. Furthermore its built in weapon systems will likely be home-brewed affairs, if that, so its threat rating goes down. And best is that the units you will face will not have the dedicated combat AI, just two standard AI chips.

"Do not take these things lightly though. It is still based on the best combat boomer design around." He turned the holo-projector off and tossed the remote back onto the podium. "There are forty AI chips missing, which means possibly twenty of these things. They were built in Brazil, in a thrown together factory. You can bet there are design flaws in these things. Look for them."

"How did they get this thing, and who are they?" one of the operatives called out.

"The plans were obtained by one Komatsu Seiroku, the late Mr. Seiroku in fact. Who 'they' are is still a question without and answer, but we only need to know that they are a threat to Genom."

Thomas walked to a cardboard box and removed a number of envelopes. "Now, come down here and collect your briefing packages and we'll get down to just exactly how were are going to save the day."

* * *

"I'm going to prep my hardsuit," Mackie said to Sylia.

"No," Sylia said as she made a final adjustment to the Hurricane II. "I want you to use the heavy hardsuit. You'll take your heavy motoslave and the other Hurricanes and set up a heavy fire team."

"I think I can be of more use with my hardsuit and just the heavy motoslave. I'll be able to move much faster that way."

Sylia turned to look at her younger brother. "Speed will not be of great concern for this mission. From what little I have found out I think we will need a fire support team. That is what you will be doing."

Mackie wanted to object, but knew he had no grounds to do so without sounding like he was whining. Also, his sister understood tactics much better than he did, and if she thought it was for the best it probably was. He nodded. "Okay, I'll go and prep the heavy hardsuit." He turned to leave.

"Good," Sylia said as she went back to the Hurricane II.

A few minutes later Sylia heard, "Yo, Sylia-san."

Sylia looked around the motoslave to see Priss standing in the doorway. "I'm glad you could make it," she said.

"I cut the rehearsal short today after taping a few songs to send off to my pal. I figured you might want me here."

"Yes." Sylia got to her feet. "Do you think your friend will be able to help you?"

"Don't know. He's got to let the guy who is fronting the money have a listen to it. If he likes what he hears then I may be in business."

"I hope things work out for you. Now, let's go and get your hardsuit ready."

* * *

"How far along are things?" Leon asked the people gathered about him.

"We've got most of our teams set up. A two man rifle team and a six man ground team is the standard set up. We've also got a number of floaters who can go where they are needed," Daily said. "Then we also have our standard Tac squad set up."

"You have a lot of our best people attached to you now," Vanessa Bach told him. "This is going to cause trouble later I think."

"We can accept that. Is there anything else we need to take care of?" Leon looked around the room at the other people.

"I want us to keep an eye on what Genom does," Asako Yamano said from a far corner of the room.

Leon kept himself from sighing. "I don't know if we can spare the people."

"And that is exactly why we should do it. Genom knows we're going to be busy if this happens like they've told us that it will happen. There will be some who decide to take advantage of that."

After a moment Leon nodded. "That is true, but it still doesn't change the fact we'll be short on people."

"We have some investigators who won't be much help in a fight but could keep their eyes open," Vanessa said. "You've stepped on some toes though. That might limit the number you can get to help you."

"I think we can call in some favours if we have to," Daily said, looking over at Asako. "We could even get some private investigators to lend a hand."

"Good," Asako said, still a little uncomfortable with the people around her. She wanted to scream at them for stupidly believing Genom, but knew that it would only make her come across as crazed.

Leon nodded, happy that there was not going to be a problem. "What's the weapon situation like?"

"All the GW-14s are ready to go," Shiroko Roberson told him. "We've got all the troops carrying APDS in their M42-A1s, and we've spread some of our other neat ammo out among those who can best use it."

"Vehicle cannons?"

"They are ready to be loaded up when they go out."

"The pilots are all good to go," Emiko Kimble said.

"I guess you are looking forward to this?"

"You bet," Emiko said to Leon.

"Just so you know, I'll be keeping an eye on this in case you get into any trouble," Tylor Yamanaka told them. "I've even got a few extra lawyers in to help."

"I hope you'll be keeping an eye on Genom as well," Asako said, a little edge to her voice.

"Let's not start this," Leon said before Tylor could respond. Once he was sure that there was going to be no argument he got to his feet. "Let's go over everything one more time, just to make sure we all know what we are supposed to be doing."

* * *

Domino ran her security card through the reader, then placed her eye against the retinal scanner and finally placed her hand over a dark plate. There was a slight stinging feel against the tip of her index finger as a tiny tissue sample was taken.

She stood there, waiting for a few seconds, while the security system decided whether she was whom her card said, and if she had permission to pass beyond the door. A moment later the door in front of her clicked and opened with a slight hiss.

Domino stepped through into the room beyond then looked around as the door closed behind her.

She was still in the war-rooms, the briefing having ended several minutes before. She had sent Akiko to get some rest. They were both on ten-minute standbyin the case of something happening they were expected to be ready to go in ten minutes.

Domino had decided to pick up a few pieces of equipment while she was down in the war-rooms.

She was in a storage room; a large space sectioned off into a number of smaller storage vaults. She began walking along the corridors, looking at the coding on each of the doors. After a few minutes she found the door she was looking for. Her ID card and a retinal scan unlocked it.

Inside the small roommore of a closetwere eight gunmetal-grey cases, each the size of a thick briefcase, each neatly stacked upon one another. Each had a label on it. Domino reached out and pulled free the case marked with AA41C.

After placing it on the floor she opened the case, looking over the contents. Inside was the combat gear designed for a Third Generation 33-S, for her in fact. Satisfied that everything was there she closed the case and then tore the label from the case. The label was folded up and shoved into a jacket pocket.

Domino picked up the case and left the storage closet, locking the door behind her. Now she just had a few more things to pick up for herself and Akiko.

* * *

Douglas Meren sprawled in a overstuffed chair. Around him were several other people, sitting on the hotel room's bed or couch, or standing. He looked around at all of them. "Everyone ready to go?"

Nods and other affirmations came. Douglas looked over at a young man sitting on the foot of the bed. "What about you Schwarz? You ready?"

"Yes," the young man said, lifting his chin, looking defiant.

"You sure you got the codes right? I'm betting a lot on you."

"I'm ready damn it," he snapped. "I've been waiting for this chance, do you think I'll blow it?"

"Just want to be sure," Douglas told him. "All right, if everyone is ready we can relax until the go-time." He got to his feet and looked at all the men about him. He smiled. "Tomorrow we are all going to be very rich," he lied.

* * *

Night came to the city, the air cooled down, the Saturday night crowds began to gather as they always did. To the majority of the city it was starting out as just another Saturday night.

For the police and Genom, and some others, it was a tense time. They were certain that things would begin soon.

They were right.

They were also going to get lucky.

In order to hide the force of boomers, all but the C-class boomers that did not need to be hidden, they had been placed in out of the way areas. Areas where it was unlikely that they would be accidentally stumbled upon by someone.

As a result it would take some time for the boomers to move into areas where they might threaten civilians.

When Douglas' boomers began to move it was a pair of C-class boomers, out on a scouting mission, that first encountered one of them. Unfortunately for the two boomers they walked into a meeting with a D-class boomer.

Neither survived long, but they had enough time to send off quick reports as to what was happening.

* * *

Domino was clearing up some work she had been letting slide over the last few days. Crisis or not, there was work within Genom that had to be done. All of her staff except for Haruko had left long ago, most only came in for half days on Saturday. Haruko remained to deal with anything that Domino might not be able to take care of.

She was just finishing up a report on the possibility of acquiring an investment bank in China when her NAVI buzzed and beeped in a unique combination of tones. Domino got to her feet and grabbed the gunmetal grey case from beside her. It was time to go.

She left her office at a quick walk. As she passed through the outer office she called to Haruko, "Hold down things here. If you have to, contact me, but only if it is absolutely necessary. You know what to do when the time comes."

"Hai Odotte-sama." Haruko paused for a moment then said, "Ki otsukute(be careful)."

"Don't worry about me," Domino told her as she left the office.

She walked quickly through the corridors, looking at her watch as she went. She was going to have to hurry. A few minutes later she entered her Tower apartment. She found Akiko and Rebecca there, sitting on the couch, holding one another.

"It's time to go," Domino said as she entered the room.

"I know," Akiko said.

"Good." Domino picked up the case that held a broken down GW-15. "Let's go."

"Could I have a minute?" Akiko asked. She was still holding Rebecca.

Domino wanted to tell her that they did not have time for it, but then she reconsidered. If it would make Akiko feel better she could make the time. "We don't have long," was all she said as she left the apartment, using the smaller case to push the door shut behind her.

"Do you have to go Kiki-san?" Rebecca asked as soon as the door closed.

"It's what I do Becky-chan," Akiko said as she hugged Rebecca tight.

"I'm scared for you."

"Don't be. I'll be back."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Akiko told her as she loosened her hold on Rebecca.

"Watch your back, and don't take any unnecessary chances."

"I'll do so," Akiko said as she got to her feet. She picked up a duffel bag from the floor by the couch. "Don't worry about me. This is my purpose when you get down to it. It is what I was designed for."

"A lot of things get broken when being used what they were designed for," Rebecca said, looking up at Akiko. There were some tears gathering in her eyes.

"Not me," Akiko said, then leaned down and gently brushed her lips across Rebecca's. "Ja(later)." Her tone was cheerful. She turned and walked to the door. She looked back for a moment as she opened the door and winked at Rebecca. Then she was gone.

Rebecca put her face in her hands and began to sob softly. It was so unfair. She was born from the memories of a dead women, put in the body of an eternal child, and the moment she found someone she might care for, she was taken away from her.

"Please come back," she whispered softly into her hands.

* * *

Domino and Akiko walked down the hall towards the elevator. Domino looked over at Akiko and said nothing for a moment, then, "I want you to go after the Flecks, you have the weapons and the ability to deal with them."

"It will be difficult," Akiko said.

"I'm aware of that, but difficult for you may be impossible for others. Hunt then down. If you can take out one that is one less to deal with."

Akiko nodded after a few seconds. "I'll do it." She was quiet as they approached the elevator then looked over at Domino. "Be careful Domino-sama."

Domino looked at her. "I plan to."

* * *

Sylia's phone rang. She picked it up, listened to the few words from Fargo, and then hung the phone up. "It's time," she said, looking over at Priss.

"I'm ready," Priss said, standing. She was wearing her innersuit, ready to go.

"Hit hard and fast, don't go after any target you are not certain of. If we're dealing with units that are too much of a threat I'll bring the team back together. If we can handle things as a hardsuit/motoslave team that is the way we'll do it."

"I guess that means I get to do the scouting and find out what is what," Priss said happily.

"Watch yourself," was the only advice Sylia gave.

Priss nodded to Sylia as she walked from the room. Not long afterwards Priss had put on her hardsuit and was climbing into a dark grey, ubiquitous mini-van. The vehicle rocked slightly as she slid into the driver's seat. Behind her, loaded into the back of the van, was the Typhoon II in cycle form.

The mini-van provided a way to leave the area without attracting undue attention. Other than the illegally tinted windows, there was nothing special about the vehicle. It was not even registered to Sylia, which meant Priss did not have to worry about it. She would ditch it once she had moved far enough away from the area around Sylia's building.

The engine started up without a problem and she drove slowly past the transport truck, then up the ramp. Near the top she stopped in front of a closed garage door. Behind her another garage door closed before the one in front of her opened.

Driving smoothly up to street level, Priss eased into the traffic and was soon lost among all the other vehicles. She had left soon enough to avoid the traffic snarls that would start once the police started blocking off roads.

* * *

Leon ran through the weapons area, ignoring K-11s and 12s, making straight for one of the vaults. He pulled his ID card from his pocket and ran it through the card reader, then tapped in the combination. The vault door swung open.

Inside were three motorcycles, big ones.

"Someone is opening the motoroid vault, had to be you Leon," Shiroko said from behind him.

"Konbanwa Shiroko-chan," Leon said as he muscled one of the bikes out.

"Those things are still being tested."

"Last I heard they were doing pretty well."

"I should mention that no one has ever taken them into combat."

"First time for everything." Leon turned to face her. "You going out?"

"I'm hiding in my office until some kit comes in that needs to be repaired."

"Probably a good idea. What's the biggest gun this will carry?" He placed his hand on the motoroid.

"Leon-san, we can't arm those things, the potential for collateral damage is too high," she told him.

"From what Genom told us, there is a good chance there will be lots of damage anyway." He smiled. "Who is going to notice?"

Shiroko smiled as well. "Good point. You've convinced me." Shiroko turned and headed towards another of the weapon vaults. "Do you know that the SDF has shown an interest in our little toy?"

"Heard the rumours," Leon said as he followed after her.

"Well, they sent us a test weapon and the target acquisition software, both have Genom written all over them, for our and their tests."

"I take it these tests still have not been performed."

"Bingo," Shiroko said.

"What do we have?"

"I think you'll like." Shiroko reached into her pocket, pulled out her card key and ran it through the reader. "It's in lock up number 3," Shiroko said, walking over to the small vault. She used her card key again, tapping in a combination as well. The vault opened, inside was a large cannon.

"46mm, magnetic accelerator, it will run off the motoroid's power. We have 100 rounds, belt. The kinetic energy this thing can deliver is nothing short of amazing. You miss your target, hit anything else, we will both be looking at criminal charges."

"How good it the software?"

"Don't know, hasn't been tested."

"Great."

"Hey, we're already trusting Genom on a bunch of stuff, might as well trust them on this right? I'll help you get this onto a cart then you can mount it on the bike. Then I'll go get the software and load it in," Shiroko said.

Leon nodded.

* * *

Leon looked at the weapon mounted on the bike's side. It was over two meters long, most of that barrel. The receiver group was big and blocky, made even more so by the big magazine hanging off it. Two power cables ran from the weapon to the bike.

"Going to get any armour?" Shiroko looked up from her laptop. An interface cable ran from the computer to the bike.

"Won't make a difference," Leon said.

"It will if you fall off this bike. The thing is going to handle like a whale with this weapon on it."

"We'll see," Leon grabbed the bag he had brought with him and opened it up, removing the rail gun that Cat had sent him several weeks before.

"Your friend again," Shiroko nodded at the weapon Leon held.

"Yeah,"

"Let me see that when this is all over?"

"Sure, why not. Ready?"

"Just about. There, everything is green across the board," she pulled the interface cable from the computer.

"Okay, open the elevator for me," Leon said as he grabbed the bike's handlebars and rocked it forward off the kick stand. The weight and unbalanced load took him by surprise and he almost dropped it. Perhaps Shiroko had been right about the armour. No time for it now.

He rolled the bike into the elevator and hit the button for the garage floor. While straddling the bike he began the start up procedure. The doors opened on the garage level and he pushed it out with his legs. On the small screen the computer came to life. Once it gave him the final okays he turned the ignition switch and hit the starter.

A moment later Leon, leaning low across the bike, was shooting up the ramp and out onto the street.

* * *

Miako was sitting in her apartment, looking over negatives when she heard a warning over her radio. City officials warned that there was an incident in the city and citizens were advised to remain in their homes, or better yet move to any close shelter. They asked that no one use their cars and keep the roads and streets clear so official vehicles could get through.

It was a very vague report but it had Miako acting. In the space of a few minutes she had gathered up the tougher of her camera gear and was heading out of her apartment.

She did not know what was going on, but thought there might be some real nice pictures to come out of it.

* * *

The fire fighting boomer swept its hand to the side, smashing the police car that was blocking the road. It looked to the left and right, noting the people around it, but none were in its way. Ignoring them, it began to stride forward.

One of the police officers came out from cover, a shotgun in his hands. He knew the weapon was going to be useless against the large boomer, but he felt he had to try something. He brought the weapon up to his shoulder, sighted, and squeezed the trigger.

The weapon thundered and the boomer might have rocked forward, ever so slightly. It slowed, for a moment looking as if it might stop. Then it continued on, not even looking back.

The officer cocked the shotgun and was about to fire again before he realised how futile it was. At best he might get it to come back and kill him, and perhaps some of the people he was supposed to be protecting.

He grabbed the radio from his belt and brought it up to his lips. "This is officer Bito, I have a large boomer heading west along Shinja Dori, unable to stop. Please advise," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Understood officer. The ADP will be informed."

"What are the ADP going to be able to do?" he asked softy, careful not to transmit that.

He got an answer a few seconds later.

Overhead two Firebees flew by. He looked up at the two small helicopters, watching as they flew after the boomer.

One of the Firebees increased its speed, moving far ahead of its companion. As it passed the boomer the boomer looked up at it. It lifted its arm on which the mini-gun was bolted. Before it could acquire the target and fire the second Firebee fired into the boomer's back, knocking it forward and punching several holes right through it.

Still, the large boomer managed to swing about, ready to fire on its attacker. The first Firebeee pilot, using the incredible manoeuvrability of the small craft, swung around and came back, opening up in the boomer.

Two bursts of the APDS cannon rounds were too much for the boomer, which slumped heavily to the ground. The Firebee pilots hovered overhead, making sure the unit was not about to get up. Then the pilot of the lead aircraft radioed into control, telling them that the target was down.

* * *

Linna rushed into the ready room, pulling off her clothing as she went. She did not even seem concerned about Mackie's presence as she began undoing her pants. "What do you need me to do?" she asked Sylia.

"Take your hardsuit and the Tornado out and engage targets as you find them. Don't put yourself in danger; fall back if the opposition is too much for you. I'll call the entire team together if necessary."

"Is anyone else out yet?" Linna asked as she pushed her pants down her legs.

"Priss-san."

Linna nodded as she kicked her pants from her feet. "Okay." She turned and ran towards the changing room to put on her inner suit.

Sylia turned towards Mackie. "You and Linna will go out together in the transport. Same orders I gave Priss and Linna."

Mackie nodded. "What about you?"

"Nene-san and I will be doing the same."

Mackie nodded. "I'll go prep the truck," he said as he left the room.

* * *

_"It is very tiresome when a lover who is leaving one at dawn says that he must look for a fan or pocket-book that he left somewhere about the room last night. As it is still too dark to see anything, he goes fumbling about all over the place, knocking into everything and muttering to himself, 'How very odd!' When at last he finds the pocket-book her crams it into his clothing with a great rustling of the pages; or if it is a fan he lost, he swishes it open and begins flapping it about, so that when he finally takes his departure, instead of experiencing feelings of regret proper to such and occasion, one merely feels irritated at his clumsiness"_  
- **Sei Shonagon**


	31. Fearful Symmetry 6

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (6 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Daily watched as the D-class came, almost lumbering, down the street. A minute before the boomer had shot down one of the Firebees that had been attacking it. For the most part the larger boomers were making straight-line paths towards the Tower, or at least it looked that way. Daily might have been tempted to let the boomers get to their target, and then move into catch them between the Tower and the ADP's weaponry. Unfortunately the boomers' straight-line paths often had them tearing through whatever got in their ways.

"Control, this is Beta-Prime, we're going to try to take target D3 down."

"Understood Beta-Prime. We will monitor situation."

"Good," Daily said, and then switched to his squad's frequency. "Team A, B and C, hold position and wait. Arwen, you ready?"

"I was born ready," the corporal's happy tone rang out over the com.

"You better be," Daily said, lifting the GW-14 from his car.

The D-class continued down the road, a water-cooled .50 calibre Browning machine gun in its hand, fed by a large ammo-bin bolted to its back. It had been that weapon that had shot down the Firebee.

Behind it, shooting out from a side street, came a red, fourteen-wheel truck. The driver twisted the front wheels violently, flipping the truck onto its side. The truck slid across the road, coming to a stop nearly right behind the D-class. The boomer turned on the truck, its .50 cal swinging about, ready to deal with a threat, if it was a threat.

The truck was not a threat. It was just there. The threat came from in front of it. The boomer had almost realised that in time. It was a combat unit. It knew the value of distraction. Then again, it was fresh off the assembly line and it lacked experience. Also, its AI was not quite functioning at its full potential.

Teams A, B and C opened up on the boomer, firing the APDS rounds at it. The truck's cargo trailer had been filled with containment foam. The ADP had used that foam in the past to capture boomers, contain explosive devices, and even block off a subway tunnel once. It was being used to keep the APDS ammunition contained.

Controlled bursts tore into the boomer, but it stood there, hardly moving. The sabot rounds were fairly light, delivering less kinetic energy than standard rounds. Normally they easily passed through most materials, but the D-class had very good armour. Some of the rounds did manage to penetrate, but not all of them. The boomer's armour was pitted and the paint ruined, but that was cosmetic damage.

Daily had sighted on the boomer with the GW-14, using the sighting system to pick out the weak points in the armour. There were not many, and the ones there were were very small. Fortunately Daily was a very good shot.

He had held the trigger for a few seconds, building up the energy charge in the capacitors. When he fired the rail spike was moving several times the speed of sound. The weapon jerked back against his shoulder. The boomer was rocked slightly as the spike ripped into it. Between Daily and the boomer was a line of vapour that had begun to dissipate-the vapour came from the spike's heat shielding that was burnt off due to friction.

The D-class swung about towards Daily, perceiving him as the real threat. The .50 cal came in line with Daily, but did not fire. While the APDS rounds had not been able to do a lot of damage to the D-class itself, they had ruined the weapon.

There were other options the D-class had, and the laser it fired passed so close to Daily he could feel the heat from it.

He fired again, one shot destroying the laser, another taking out the mini-gun on the D-class' other shoulder. Then he held the trigger, letting the energy build up again. At the same time the boomer had started moving towards him, fast.

To Daily it was a little like having a tractor-trailer bearing down on him. He wanted to dive out of the way, to get clear. He held his position though and sighted on the oncoming boomer.

The weapon jerked as he fired, the spike making a cracking sound as it broke the sound barrier. The boomer's legs seemed to give way from under it as the round punched into it. It hit the ground and slid on the road for a few meters, raising sparks.

Daily moved around his car, watching as the boomer tried to get up. He raised the long weapon to his shoulder and pointed it at the combat boomer. He shot it three times, waiting a few seconds between each shot. On the third shot it stopped moving. He held the position for several seconds, then looked around. There was surprisingly little damage in the area.

"All stations, give me a report," Daily said into his boom mike.

"Team A, no injuries here."

"Team B, no injuries."

"Team C, no injuries."

Daily waited, then said, "Arwen, what about you?"

"I'm fine, just banged my head a little. So, what's our next target?"

"I'll find out," he said, then switched frequencies. "Control, this is Beta-Prime, target down. Where to now?"

"Beta-Prime, move to where Asakusa-dori and Edo-dori meet. We need you to set up a blockade on the Komagata Bridge."

"Understood control. We'll be there in two minutes. Beta-Prime out." Daily switched frequencies again. "Let's move out. They need us at Komogata Bridge."

As Daily moved back to his car he looked over at the downed D-class and then at the weapon he carried. No wonder Genom did not want these things in general circulation, he thought.

* * *

The Tower was busy. It was also sealed tightly and its automated defences were fully active. No one was quite sure what was going to happen, but they did know a large number of boomers were currently moving towards them.

Katherine, involved in Genom's security as she was, had taken a great deal of interest in what was occurring. She knew, well, was almost certain, that the boomers were a distraction. She had watched their initial actions and saw nothing that could really hurt Genombeyond the fact that Genom boomers were rampaging in the city.

She was tempted to ignore the boomers completely, but there was a chance that the boomers were the main threat.  
In the crisis centre were the other executives. Katherine liked to keep them close so she could watch them. There was the possibility one of them might be behind the events, but she doubted that. She knew most of them had their own plots and hidden plans. Any of those things might be of use, and at a time like this infighting would not be tolerated.

If any of them could help, she was fairly certain they would.

"Where is Odotte-san?" Katherine asked. She had been wondering where the other woman was for quite some time now and decided it was time to ask.

"Oh," Marino said, sounding surprised. "I thought everyone knew. She's out with the combat specialists."

Domino had told Marino to wait until someone asked before dropping that piece of information. She had said it would throw them off balance a little. Marino could see that she had been right. None of the other executives would, even if they could, be out there, in the fighting. That Domino was forced them all to quickly reassess their previous opinions of the executive.

"She's with the combat specialists?" Noburo asked.

Marino nodded. "Yes. She thought she could be of more use out there than in here."

"Fine," Katherine said, refusing to let herself be thrown by Domino's actions. "Now, what do we do about this situation." It was time to start talking and see if they could make sense of what was happening.

* * *

Domino looked down her sight at the D-class boomer moving along the road. The unit showed the effects of a recent meeting with the ADP. Unfortunately the officers had not been able to stop it.

She was lying on the roof of an eight-story building; a helicopter had dropped her off there a minute before. She was supposed to stop the D-class before it got any further. Five hundred metres further along its path was an area that had yet to be evacuated.

She wore a body suit that covered her completely from foot to neck. It was neutral grey in colour allowing it to blend in well with most backgrounds. It was armoured, two thin weaves of kevlar, between which was a layer of ballistic gel. Hard impacts caused the gel to switch from liquid to solid for a fraction of a second. With her own, in-built hardiness, she could take multiple hits from battle rifle rounds and likely walk away from anything up to a .50 cal hit.

It was nice to know that someone had given a lot of thought to the Third Generation's protection. At some point someone had cared.

Her hair was braided, folded in half and within a sheath of the same material as her armour. She wore a helmet that completely covered her head and face. The goggles and breathing mask that made up the helmet gave her an alien appearance.

Switching the power of the sight caused her view to zoom in. She was now longer looking at the whole boomer and some of the area around it, but just its head and shoulders. Her rifle was not a GW-14 but a GW-15. The capacitors were better, allowing for more powerful hits, and the sighting system was an improved model.

The 15s also had the complete boomer recognition software loaded into them, unlike the 14s. Domino adjusted to power again, letting a large portion of the boomers right chest fill her view. There was a small tear in the armour, no doubt thanks to the ADP.

The computer in the sighting system projected information about the boomer and the location of its interior systems. As the boomer moved the angle of the shot changed, bringing new interior systems into line.

Domino stopped breathing, letting her housekeeping computer lock her body into an unnatural stillness. Gently squeezing the trigger to its first stage let the capacitors charge up. She waited until the shot she wanted came into line and then gently finished squeezing the trigger.

The boomer rocked slightly as the spike punched through its already damaged armour, then the interior systems, ripping through a main power coupling before finally exiting the boomer and embedding itself into the roadway beneath the D-class.

Even while the spike was still within the boomer Domino fired off two more shots, not giving much care to where she aimed. Then she was rolling to the side, springing to her feet and running off at a low crouch. A moment later a beam of focused light burnt into the area where she had been.

Domino dropped into a kneeling firing stance, swinging the rifle into line with the D-class. She watched as its movements slowed slightly. It would be trying to bypass the power coupling that had been destroyed, but that would take a few moments. She aimed again, squeezed the trigger to its first stage, let the capacitors charge up, and then fired.

The boomer rocked slightly in a way that had nothing to do with the force of the spike. Its power core had just been holed. While the secondary power source was still up, the loss of the power coupling made it impossible to get at that secondary source at that moment.

Domino fired again, hitting it in its main sensor unit. Her next shot took its laser cannon out. As the boomer began to fall she fired several more times, just to make sure.

She watched it for several seconds as it lay on its back, unmoving, then she switched on her com system. "Control, this is K-7, target D-Class five is down. Send in a team to take care of the boomer and transportation to get me to next target," she transmitted.

"This is control, understood K-7. Stay on site until the boomer disposal team arrives."

"Understood control, K-7 out."

* * *

The first surprise of the night for Priss was a squad of ADP officers taking out a pair of boomers quickly and efficiently. She had been heading into the area, expecting to have to bail them out. Her help had not been needed.

A little later it was. A D-class, the first real one Priss had ever seen, was causing a lot of trouble. Not surprisingly the ADP was having trouble with it. Priss and the Typhoon II moved in, adding their firepower and exceptional manoeuvrability to the fight.

A number of well placed rail spikes, a burst of fire from the Typhoon II's hand cannon, and the ADP's improved firepower finished the combat boomer off in under a minute.

There had been loses through and Priss left the scene as the wounded were being treated and the dead moved off to the side.

Not long after that fight Priss had run into the first of the monster boomers. It was a type she had never seen before. After her first head-on attack had almost killed herthere was a deep laser burn on the right thigh-armour of her hardsuitshe had switched to hit and run attacks.

Priss swung out from the corner of a building, firing on the Flecks' head before diving back into cover. Laser fire burnt through the wall just behind Priss. She was forced to leap up to avoid being caught by the sweep of the laser.

"All right, you're up," she said loudly.

As the Flecks boomer came even with Priss the Typhoon II fired on it from one of the roofs, the powerful laser cannons it carried cutting deep into the boomer's right arm, midway along the upper part. Even as it fired the Typhoon II lifted into the air, the powerful hover rotors taking it into the sky.

The Flecks responded quickly, firing at the fast moving Typhoon II, managing to catch it with a glancing shot that clipped one of the hover rotors. The motoslave, suffering from a partial loss of control, slammed up against the side of a building then fell onto the roof of another.

It had not turned out as she had hoped, but Priss used the distraction, leaping out from cover, going to the boomers right side and behind it. She took to the air, laying three of her contact mines on the boomer's back as she went.

The boomer's thrusters began to fire off, beginning to lift it into the air. Then the charges went off and super hot gasses burnt into the armour, taking the thruster unit out. The Flex landed badly, falling to its side, but it was quickly on its feet.

Priss remained in the air and behind it, targeting the holes that her charges had burnt into the armour. Three rail gun spikes tore into the softer interior of the boomer causing small secondary explosions. Priss thought she had it when it turned, much faster than she had expected, bringing its left arm up.

There was a flash of light and a beam of energy took the laser cannon part of the left arm off. The beam continued to sweep along, cutting a deep trench into the boomer's chest. A bigger explosion ripped through the body, one of the legs blew free and the boomer collapsed, unmoving.

Priss looked up to see the Typhoon II hovering above her, the recently fired laser cannon pointing down at the boomer. It began to come down. Obviously it had compensated for the hit it had taken to the hover rotor. The left side of its face had been partially crushed and one of its eyes had gone out. Priss looked up at it once it had landed.

"A lot of help you were, try not to get hit again," she said. "Come on, let's see what else we can find."

As she turned away Priss wondered if it was her imagination or if the motoslave had indeed looked hurt.

* * *

Leon was breathing deeply, a little scared, a little excited. A mixture that he had not felt in some time. It was something he had missed not that that made him happy. He would have thought himself better than some adrenaline junky.

He wore a pair of goggles, on the right lens was a projection of what the motoroid was seeing. Not that it was seeing much other than a wall much like the one Leon was staring at and a few vending machines. The bright lights and friendly lettering suddenly made Leon realise that he was thirsty.

Taking a small mirror from his pocket Leon used it to look around the corner. The boomer was making its way down the street, moving at what was probably its top speed. Not a terribly fast design, but so far unstoppable.

The monster coming towards him had already walked through his squad's earlier ambush and one SWAT team roadblock without being slowed. Leon had moved forward, using the motoroid's speed, in hopes of stopping the thing. He also hoped that the police and fire crews had evacuated everyone in the few minutes they had had. Anyone still in the area was not going to be safe. His squad was probably moving into place in case the thing made it past him.

"Okay Tartan," Leon saidhe had named the motoroid after a dog he had had as a kid. "It's coming down the street, when I give the word come around the corner, lock on, and put three shots into it. Then move back into cover. Three seconds later repeat that manoeuvre until it's dead or circumstances lead you to another course of action."

"Yes sir," the motoroid's computer-synthesised voice came over the radio in the goggles. It was a mid range voice, soft, perhaps chosen to sound relaxing.

He watched as the boomer marched up the street. It would soon come even with him. Up ahead of it was a building where the road branched. Leon wondered if it would simply crash through the building or go around. Previous behaviour gave a good chance that it would go right through it. Not very subtle, but certainly persistent.

He waited until the boomer reached a point almost even with where he was and then he gave the motoroid its signal to move. He stuffed the mirror into his pocket and readied his weapons.

The booming of the 46mm rounds as they broke the sound barrier told him that the motoroid had fired. He took a deep breath then spun around the corner, bringing his weapon to bear on the boomer.

The big boomer was turning quickly, its laser arms coming up to target the retreating motoroid. Leon opened up on itCat's rail gun tucked under one arm, an M42-A1 tucked under the otherspraying it with ammunition. The fire seemed to have little effect; the rounds, while more than able to pierce lighter armours, were simply unable to penetrate that carapace. He changed his point of aim to its head, hoping it might have more effect.

When the boomer noticed the new attack and began to swing towards its source Leon dove back into cover.

A moment later he heard the booming of Tartan's rail cannon. He waited a few seconds and moved out from cover again.

The boomer was not to fall for it twice. While it left arm was tracking the motoroid, Leon found himself almost staring down the barrel of the laser cannon on the right arm.

He managed to fall back into cover, firing his weapons wildly, before the boomer managed to target him. The laser ended up passing close enough that he could feel burns coming up on his shoulder and the material of his jacket was smouldering slightly. After running down the street several meters he threw himself flat. The beam, which had cut through the wall, passed over his head before shutting off.

"Change of plans," he said into the mike, hoping the motoroid was still functioning.

"I understand," it told him, same calm voice. "Parameters changing."

"What?"

"Air support on the way."

"Firebees?"

"Hai."

"When?"

"Now," it said and a moment later Leon heard the familiar chatter of the 20mm guns.

"Attack," Leon said sounding calmer than he felt, getting to his feet and moving back onto the street.

The four Firebees had come in from the westflying NOE more than likely. Now they had climbed and split up, moving as fast as they could, putting down as much fire as possible. While it was difficult to tell if the ammunition was causing any significant damage to the boomer, it was keeping it on the defensive.

Leon realised being out in the open was not the safest option, but he had committed himself. Also the boomer had moved forward so he was behind it, and for the next few seconds that was as safe a place as any. He wondered about that conclusion as a nearby vending machine exploded, haemorrhaging dark, carbonated fluids.

He and his motoroid opened up on the boomer, Leon finding the rents in the armour caused by the 46mm. The tiny flechettes from his rail gun seemed to be more effective once they got inside.

One of the Firebees went up in a ball of flame as the boomer got a solid hit and another spun out of control, crash landing on the roof of a building after its tail rotor was shot off. The other two Firebees had come around and kept firing. Leon and Tartan kept up their fire as well.

An explosion ripped from the left side of the boomer, its left arm suddenly hung uselessly by its side. Leon thought they had it, sure they could take it down, but instead the huge thrusters on its back opened up and it fled. The wash from the engines was enough to knock Leon over and send him tumbling down the street a few meters.

"Aare you all right sir?" the motoroid asked as it came to stand over him. Leon heard a crashing noise and wondered what it was.

"Yeah," Leon said as he got to his feet, looking around for his rail gun. He activated his com. "This is Alpha Leader to Alpha Team A. Tetsuya, it got a way. Got a visual?"

"You're not going to believe this," Tetsuya Kawasaki, Leon's second in command, said. "It landed on the roof of that building that was in its way, then it went crashing through the roof. Blasted out on the second floor and is coming this way."

"Set up the ambush. The thing is hurt. We can take it down this time. All we got to do is hold it."

"Yes sir," Tetsuya said.

"You ready to go Tartan?"

"Hai," the motoroid replied.

"Well then let's go. Motorcycle form," Leon ordered.

* * *

Linna could not recall having fought boomers armed with conventional weapons before. It was something of a pleasant surprise really. She doubted that the rifle rounds could breach the armour of her hardsuit, though she did her best not to put that theory to the test.

Moving amongst the four boomers she let her whips slice the barrels from the weapons, quickly disarming them. The boomers, quick to realise that their weapons were no longer functioning, switched to their metal fists. That played directly into Linna's hands, as it were.

She slipped their punches easily. Moving in quickly to return them. She was careful to conserve the charges in her knuckle bomber and used the hardsuit's strength and her ribbons to finish off the boomers instead.

Less than half a minute of the fighting starting, Linna stood among the downed boomers. Not a bad performance, she thought to herself. She could stand to keep her movements a little crisper, but other than that...

"Mistress Linna," the voice of the Tornado sounded in her ears.

"What is it?" she asked the motoslave.

"There are two enemy units in close proximity, though neither poses a threat to us if we reamain in our current location."

"What are they?"

"One is a Genom fire fighting boomer. It has been armed. The other cannot be identified."

"All right, let's take a look."

Linna moved off quickly, soon linking up with the Tornado. In a short time they were standing on a rooftop, looking down at the two boomers. The one that could not be identified was large, much like the boomer she and the others had fought during the events surrounding Reika and Dr. McLaren.

Thinking of Reika made her feel a momentary pang of regret. She still felt bad for not taking her up on her offer. It was only for a moment though. Reika may have needed her, but she was not the only one.

"I'll take out the fire fighter," Linna told the motoslave beside her. "Go after the other one, but be careful."

"I understand," the Tornado told her.

"Then let's go," Linna said as she stepped off the edge of the roof. She let herself fall for a moment before activating her flight units. She cut her speed enough to ensure a soft landing when she touched down. A moment later they flared again as Linna leapt high, then, at the apex of her jump, began falling towards the boomer.

The Tornado simply rocketed forward, like a missile, straight at the Flecks boomer.

The Flecks, being much more combat orientated, was the first of he boomers to detect the incoming attack. It sent a quick message to the fire fighting boomer as it turned towards the most immediate incoming attack.

It opened up with both of its laser cannons, trying to score on the fast and erratically moving Tornado. Its targeting software was not up to dealing with the improved motoslave, designed around Linna's fighting style. A moment later the Tornado and the Flecks came together.

The Tornado's fist, very similar in material and design to Priss' knuckle guard, slammed into the boomers right side, turning some of the Abotex to dust. Its other fist followed the first, but the Flecks was already turning so the Tornado's attack fell on a different part of the armour.

The Flecks lashed about, trying to get a hold on the Tornado, but the motoslave managed to evade the Flecks' reaching hands as it rained blows down on it.

If the fire fighting boomer had been able to help the Flecks things might be different, but even as it was turning to aid the other boomer Linna hit it. She had let herself drop right on top of it, hardly slowing her fall at all. Just before hitting she tucked one leg back, decreasing the surface area she was going to hit with.

The boomer's right shoulder armour was deeply dented and the mini-gun that had been mounted there was destroyed by Linna's landing. The shock absorbers in the hardsuit's feet helped Linna with the landing, but even so she felt needles of pain run up and down her leg.

She did not give the boomer she had landed on much chance to react. She jumped form its shoulder and twisted in the air so she landed in front of it, facing it.

It reached for her, even as the mini-gun on its left shoulder swung about to track Linna.

Linna kicked herself into a back flip, using her suit's thrusters to increase her speed. Her right foot smashed into the boomer's chest, ripping some of the heavy armour free. Her foot passed by the boomer as she continued the flip and her laser ribbons came into play.

They slashed up the boomer's chest, cutting deep as they went. The ribbon on Linna's right shoulder continued up, cutting through the barrels of the remaining mini-gun. A moment later Linna landed on her feet, facing the boomer once again.

While she was a little surprised that the boomer was still on its feet, she was more annoyed. She did not expect a simple fire fighting boomer to have that much fight in it.

When the boomer reached for her again, moving very fast, Linna ducked its hands and moved in close, priming the charge of her knuckle bomber. Her powerarm lashed out, slamming against one of the cuts her ribbon had left in the chest armour.

The force of the explosion slammed through the boomer, tearing into it and destroying its main power core.

The boomer's movements became erratic as its power faded. It almost fell onto Linna as it pitched forward, but she managed to get out of the way, if just barely. That would have been an embarrassing way to get hurt, Linna thought as the boomer hit the ground, cracking the pavement.

She turned towards the Flecks, watching as the Tornado sparred with it, avoiding its attacks and launching its own.

"Pull back," Linna ordered as she moved in towards the fight, priming another charge for her knuckle bomber. Time to end it, she thought.

The Tornado did as ordered, its thrusters lighting up as it climbed into the air, away from the Flecks. The Flecks used one laser cannon to track the Tornado, the other it swung around to target Linna.

"It's fast," Linna said as she jerked to the side, moving herself away from the weapon's line of fire. In that moment she changed her target from the boomers head to the place where the two lower right arms joined with the upper.

The Flecks was taken by surprise by the move, and Linna's powerarm slammed into the space. The force of the explosion was enough to cut many of the power and control conduits as well as damage the structure itself. Linna was about to pull away from the boomer when the two lower arms closed on her hardsuit, trapping her powerarm.

She did not have time to react. Suddenly she was swung about and held up between the approaching Tornado and the Flecks. She had just become a shield. The Tornado aborted its attack, loosing it manoeuvrability for a moment. The Flecks' laser cannon fired, catching the Tornado, burning part of the lower leg off.

Linna, not at all pleased with being a human shield, triggered another charge. The second explosion ripped through the already weakened area, blowing both of the lower arms free. She sprang away from the boomer as soon as she landed, turning so she could open up on it with the lasers in her powerarm.

The Tornado regained control and came in at the boomer. As the Flecks shifted its attention back to the motoslave Linna reversed her course and came back at it. The Flecks moved in such a way to defend from both attacks. Had it still had even one of the lower arms on its right side it might have worked.

As it was, Linna managed to get to its upper rear surface and slam her knuckle bomber into an exposed thruster port.

Both she and the Tornado moved back a moment before the fuel was touched off, blowing the entire thruster assembly from the rest of the body.

And still the Flecks stood, still ready to fight.

Linna jerked her head about as she moved in, letting her ribbons cut the second laser cannon from it. The Tornado came close on her heels, slamming its fist into the ragged wound on its back, punching deep into it. Its fingers' closed around something and it pulled.

There was a spray of cooling fluids as the Tornado tore the power core from the boomer. It then leapt away, tossing the corea number of cables still attached to itaway.

The Flecks rocked back and forth, slowly turning towards the Tornado. Linna hit it then, leaping onto its back, raising her powerarm, then slamming it deep into the boomer through the passage the Tornado had just created.

The blast of the knuckle bomber was enough to finish the Flecks off. It pitched forward; Linna remained on its back, riding it to the ground. If there was any life still left in the thing she wanted to be there to finish it off.

After a few seconds it became obvious that that was not going to be the case.

Linna looked up at the Tornado. The motoslave stood balanced on its remaining foot. "Status?" she asked after a moment.

"Still combat capable," the motoslave answered.

"Then let's go," Linna said as she pushed away from the boomer.

* * *

During the city's rebuilding a large number of shelters had been put in place. Places where the populace could go in the event of another quake, or similar disaster. They were built underground, mainly so they would not take up space aboveground. Each one had supports sunk down into a more stable rock strata.

They had been built to provide places where one would be safe from having things like broken glass, signs and roof air conditioning units fall on one. They would also protect against fire, were sealed in the case of tsunami, and were rated against conventional explosives.

The ADP had the codes to open them and had done just that when everything had started. The non-combative members of the ADP, and a number of other police officers that would, hopefully, not be involved in the fighting, were stationed at the shelters, making sure everything stayed orderly.

Naoko had found herself working at one such shelter. The work was a little like traffic duty, but more tense. She was not wearing the armour of the Tac squads, but ADP work dress. Combat boots, her tan trousers bloused at the tops of the boot, a white shirt where her badge was clipped, and a flack jacket. She wore a communication headset with a boom microphone, keeping her in touch with ADP control.

Not too far from where she stood was the patrol car she had come in. Inside the car was a pair of M42-A1s, loaded and ready to go. Under her arm was a .454 combat magnum, loaded with ammunition that she had been assured would be of use. Naoko was not happy about it.

A situation she was already not comfortable in was made worse by the people. They were scared, they wanted answers and they looked to Naoko to provide them. She was the one in a uniform after all.

"What is happening?" a middle-aged woman demanded of Naoko. "Are we going to be safe here?"

"Please, you have to calm down," Naoko said.

"Calm down? I don't even know what is happening? How can I be calm."

Naoko was wondering what to do when Kaneko Akamura stepped in. "Please ma'am," Kaneko said, "I have to ask you to calm down. At this point we are not sure of all facts ourselves. I don't want to give you information that might be in error. When we know all the facts we will be able to give you all the facts." As she spoke Kaneko had moved a little closer to the woman, and she had increased the volume of her voice.

The woman and the others gathered around looked as if they were willing to accept Kaneko's explanation.

"I'm sorry," the woman said after a moment, looking a little unsure about what she was apologising for.

"There is no need to be sorry," Kaneko told her, reaching out to put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Please, wait in the shelter for now. You'll be fine there."

As if to add weight to her words, the sound of an explosion rolled over the area. People began to push forward towards the shelter entrance. Naoko and Kaneko had to move into the crowd to slow everyone down, keep them orderly, and ensure no one was hurt.

Finally the people who had been standing outside the shelter were inside, leaving Naoko and Kaneko alone.

"Well, that went well," Kaneko said, turning to look towards the direction the explosion had come from.

"Well?" Naoko's eyes were wide.

"Mob rule is a very unpleasant thing. It could have become very ugly." There was another explosion in the distance.

"What is that?" Naoko asked.

"Team Gamma, Captain Yamano's people. They are fighting a group of armed construction boomers."

"Oh. I guess Captain Yamano will deal with it."

"Some might say she could deal with it by herself, with her bare hands."

Naoko laughed. "She can be scary."

"She's angry, with reason. She holds herself together very well. Hard not to respect her."

"She doesn't think much of the communications staff."

"She doesn't think much of anyone, but you can't really hold that against her."

Naoko opened her mouth to reply but the sound of a nearby explosion shifted her attention away from the conversation.

"That is very close," Kaneko said calmly.

"Captaon Yamano's team?" Naoko asked hopefully.

"I don't think so." Kaneko ran to the car and pulled the door open. She unlocked the two M42s from their brackets and then grabbed a bag full of loaded magazines. When she returned to Naoko she held one of the weapons towards her. "Here, take this"  
Naoko hesitantly reached out and took the weapon that Kaneko offered. It was heavier than she remembered. "What are we going to do?"

"You are going to remain here," Kaneko told Naoko as she reached into the bag, removing one of the magazines. "If trouble starts here," Kaneko pushed the magazine into place, "you will enter the shelter and seal it." She cocked the weapon, chambering a round. "Keep an eye on the monitors in case you have to open the door to anyone else."

"You are going to investigate alone?"

Kaneko nodded as she put her weapon on safe. "One of us has to stay back here to take care of things." She removed two more magazines from the bag and slid them into her jacket pockets. A third magazine she held out towards Naoko. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

Naoko nodded as she took the magazine. "Hai Lieutenant Akamura."

"Good," Kaneko said as she turned and walked off in the direction of the earlier explosion.

As Naoko watched her go she pushed the magazine into her weapon and the cocked it. The slide felt stiff and she had to exert a lot of force, for her, to chamber the round. She checked to make sure her weapon was on safe, then moved towards the shelter entrance.

She hoped everything would be all right.

* * *

Kaneko was not certain what she was going to discover, but she was not too worried. She had a number advantages that the other members of the ADP did not.

It did not take her long to find the source of the explosion. It was a boomer, she assumed. She had never seen such a boomer before, thought she had heard talk of some new, monster boomer over the Tac squad frequencies. It was likely that she was facing one.

She moved into cover, ducking down behind a low, decorative wall in front of an empty café. As she switched the fire selector from 'safe' to 'FA' Kaneko wondered just how effective the weapon she held might be. From what she had heard, the monster boomers were very tough.

There was only one way to find out, she thought, somewhat cavalierly.

She leapt up from where she had been crouching and dashed across the street. A moving target would be harder to hit, she hoped. As she ran she pulled the trigger, aiming low in preparation for the weapon's climb.

The APDS round stitched across the boomer, the entire clip. Kaneko kept the weapon under control and was almost certain that every round hit the target. Sixty-six rounds of armour piercing sabots kept in a fairly tight grouping. It should have done something.

As the boomer raised it laser cannons Kaneko realised she had made a mistake.

Then there was a strange sound, like multiple peels of thunder, and the monster boomer rocked, slightly even as it fired. Something hit Kaneko, driving her the rest of the way across the street and into an alley.

It all happened very fast, Kaneko was not at all sure what had happened until she landed on her back. Standing above her was a young woman. She looked to be sixteen, maybe a little younger. Long blonde hair, except in places where it looked as if it had been brunt off, leaving angry patches of red skin on her scalp. Her clothing, a combat body suit of some sort, was ripped. There was blood. She was trembling slightly.

She had saved Kaneko, or at least got her out of danger. Kaneko was not certain that she had been in a certain death situation.

As she watched the girl did something to the pistol like weapon in her hand, then turned towards the mouth of the alley. A few seconds later the monster boomer walked by. It looked towards where they were, but if it saw them it did not show any concern. A moment later it was gone.

The girl turned towards Kaneko. There was dried blood on her face. "Are you all right?"

"Hai," Kaneko said as she began to get to her feet.

"I'm Sheffield Akiko," Akiko said. "You can call me Kiki if you want. You're Lieutenant Akamura Kaneko." It was not a question.

"Yes," Kaneko nodded.

"I need your help," Akiko said.

"You need to get into a hospital," Kaneko told her. The girl's trembling had increased, and as Kaneko looked at her the extent of Akiko's wounds became obvious.

Akiko shook her head in negation. "I'm fine. My housekeeping computer is editing the pain, I'm suffering from no serious loss of function."

"You're a 33-S," Kaneko said, too loudly. She did not use the term, 'sexaroid'.

Akiko nodded. "As are you. I guess that makes us cousins," Akiko said, smiling slightly.

"How do you..." Kaneko started, then stopped. It was no time for such a question. "What are you doing here?"

"I work for Genom. I'm destroying as many of the Flecks as I can."

"Flecks?"

"The boomer that almost killed you. Flecks."

"I'm not sure it almost killed me. You're trying destroy that thing?"

Akiko nodded. "I have to. Will you help me?"

Kaneko looked at the boomer across from her, a 33-S like she herself was. It was hard to see that, Kaneko just saw a young woman who looked like she should be in high school. What did people think when they looked at her? Kaneko wondered.

"How can we stop it?"

"I think I've already put some cracks in its armour, and damaged the left laser cannon. We just have to work with that. Come on, we have to catch up to it."

"I don't think I can do much to it," Kaneko said. "This hardly seemed to scratch it." She indicated the weapon she carried.

"Here," Kaneko held the weapon she had been carrying to Kaneko. It looked like a heavy pistol, but the pistol grip was set towards the middle of the weapon. From the bottom of the pistol grip, curving up to the rear, underside of the weapon, was what Kaneko guessed was a magazine. "It's a magnetic launcher," Akiko explained.

"Genom make?"

Akiko nodded.

"You used this earlier, when you grabbed me."

"Yes. That will hurt a Flecks."

"Is this like those sniper riffles Genom gave the ADP?"

"Better really."

"Of course. How do we do this?"

"Hit it from the back," Kaneko removed a second magnetic launcher from a shoulder holster and handed it to Kaneko. "When it turns to deal with you, I'll move in close."

Kaneko took the second weapon and looked again at Akiko. The only weapons she had left were a pair of long knivesmore like short swords reallyin a holder/sheath at the small of her back. "Surely you don't plan to fight a boomer with knives?"

"I'm good with them. Trust me," Akiko said as she smiled. "We really have to go now."

Kaneko looked at Akiko for a moment, noticing the trembling had become worse. "Are you sure you are all right?"

Akiko nodded.

"All right, you're the expert."

Akiko turned and walked towards the mouth of the alley, Kaneko followed after her. "What did you mean we're cousins?" Kaneko asked.

"I'm a second generation."

"I did not think there were any left. I heard that they all..." Kaneko trailed off.

"Died?"

"I didn't want to say it."

"There are still a few of us left," Akiko said jovially. It sounded a little forced. She stepped out of the alley onto the road. "Follow me," she called, then she began to run.

Kaneko took off after her, wondering if there might be one less second gen before the night was out. She hoped not.

* * *

Akiko leaned back against a wall, using a vending machine as cover. In her dealings with the Flecks, and other units, she had come to the conclusion that their instructions were not to fight unless something got in their way. That did not make them any less dangerous. When something got in their way they tended to go through it. The Flecks were the worse for that, followed closely by the construction boomers and then the fire fighting boomers.

The additional programming that had been added to the boomers, and in the case of the Flecks constructed for, was obviously a bit of a mess. Not particularly subtle or flexibleshe had watched a Flecks rip through a building it could have gone around.

She listened to the pounding of the Flecks' feet as it came closer to where she was. Soon Kaneko would launch her attack and things would start. Akiko liked Kaneko, though they had only known each other for a few minutes. Maybe it was that they both were 33-Ss. Maybe it was that Kaneko had been surviving in what could be seen as an enemy camp. One had to respect that.

Maybe it was just that she wanted friends and would like anyone who did not treat her poorly. Akiko did not think that was the reason, however.

She reached behind herself and pulled both of her knives free. Each knife was almost as long as her arm, made of a milky, translucent, crystal. High grade Abotex, grown, not forged, in micro-gravity. The hilt was slim, curved slightly, it fit comfortably in her hand. The blade broadened after the hilt, curved along its length, and tapered to a chisel point at the end.

A good blade for slashing.

As she looked at the blades she could see them shaking, her whole body was trembling. It seemed that the shakes got worse every minute, that she could control them less and less. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Relax, she told herself. Just relax; don't let the stress get to you.

When she opened her eyes again she pretended that the shaking had subsided a little. Of course it had not, but at the moment she was willing to ignore that. That moment was not the time for pessimistic thoughts.

The vending machine she was leaning against vibrated at the Flecks moved closer, its footfalls beginning to shake the ground. Any moment now, Akiko thought, crouching low, getting ready to spring.

The sound of multiple projectiles breaking the sound barrier rolled over Akiko. She counted to three, knowing the boomer would begin to turn towards Akiko. The three-gram ceramic wedge would impact with enough force to damage the armour. With a maximum rate of fire of 25 rounds per second it was quite possible that the Flecks could be taken down with just the magnetic launcher. Kaneko was a real threat to the boomer.

Of course Kaneko did not know the weak points in the Flecks carapace, did not know where the vital systems were located. Akiko was going to have to deal with it.

On three she propelled herself around the machine, straight towards the Flecks. It was presenting its side to her, turning to bring its laser cannon to bear on Kaneko. She locked her eyes on the joint where the lower left arms joined up to the upper part of the arm.

The Flecks caught her approach and was shifting into a more defensive position, trying to put its talon like fingers out as a barrier.

Akiko avoided the fingers, letting herself pass close to them, keeping up her speed. Speed was important. She lashed out with both her blades, right first, then the left, letting it cut through the trail the first strike had left.

She twisted, using the Flecks to push off of, then sprang away. She landed on the sheltering roof over the nearby vending machines.

The boomer was lifting its left arm, as if it planned to fire on her with the laser cannon there. It did not seem to notice that both of the lower arms had been cut free.

Kaneko moved out of whatever place of cover she had been in and fired another burst at the Flecks. From her high perch Akiko watched as part of the boomers head was ripped apart by the ceramic rounds.

Akiko leapt from the roof, back towards the boomer. The leap felt wrong, one of her legs had spasmed as she had jumped. She was off target.

The Flecks turned to protect its right arm, at the same time it lifted its leg, swinging it out. The massive leg slammed into Akiko. She did her best to twist about, making sure that she met the leg with as much of her body as possible, spreading out the force of impact over a larger surface area.

She was not sure if it really helped.

Akiko was sent flying back, crashing through the window of a store, smashing through a shelf full of household products before coming to a sudden stop against an interior wall.

"Ow," Akiko said as she slid down the wall into a sitting position on the floor. Her housekeeping computer was giving her a rather complete damage report. Lots of little fractures throughout her rib cage, a few actual breaks. Internal damage, all capable of being bypassed, but it would need attention. Micro-fractures throughout the rest of her skeletal system, and lots of damage to her skin.

A good thing she could not bleed to death easily. She had that up on the first generation 33-Ss.

She heard the crunching of glass and looked towards the sound. Kaneko had entered the store and was moving towards her.

"Sheffield-san, are you all right?" She sounded as if she expected a negative answer.

"Yes," Akiko said as she began to get to her feet. It hurt quite a bitshe was not editing the pain at that moment so as to better understand the extent of the damagebut she got her feet under her. She reached down and picked up one of her knives. "Where it the Flecks?"

"It's continuing down the street."

"Then we have to stop it." She knelt down to pick up the second knife. Her left hand would not close around the hilt of her weapon, her hand and then arm began to shake.

"You're not all right," Kaneko told her. "Come on, we have to get you some kind of help."

"There is nothing that can be done about me," Akiko said. "On the other hand we can still stop the Flecks." She placed the tip of the knife in her right hand against the palm of her left. She took a deep breath and then pushed the blade through her hand.

The shaking stopped, or at least subsided, and her fingers spasmed closed before relaxing. She pulled the blade free then reached down and picked up the second weapon. "Get up on a car or something, fire high. I'll hit it low."

"You can't do this," Kaneko said. "You can barely stand."

"I'll do it," Akiko said, wiping some blood from her face with the back of her arm. "Switch those weapons to full auto. Empty both clips. It should only take a second or two. I need some holes in its armour."

Kaneko stared at Akiko for several seconds. "Do you want to die?"

"No, but I accept it." Akiko turned and started walking towards the broken window.

Kaneko did not know what to think. Part of her thought that Akiko must have some faulty programming. Part of her was shamed by that simple bravery. She shook her head as she followed after Akiko.

On the street they could see the back of the Flecks as it walked down the street. Kaneko looked about then ran and jumped up onto the roof of a car. "Okay," she called to Akiko.

Akiko nodded and then turned and ran after the Flecks. At first her stride was jerky, and she almost fell, but as she gained speed her movements smoothed out.

Kaneko switched the weapons to full auto, lifted them, and squeezed the triggers. As Akiko had told her the magazines emptied in seconds. The Flecks' armour seemed to explode in places as the ceramic blades impacted.

As before when Kaneko had fired on it, the Flecks began to turn.

Akiko closed on the Flecks as it turned. She leapt up, driving her blade deep into one of the rents on its back, twisting the blade, letting it slice through interior systems. She had not damaged anything too important, but the damage would slow the Flecks.

She kicked back, landing on its left side, the side missing the lower arms. Now, all she had to do was wait for the boomer to give her the opening she needed.

She dodged an arm sweep and moved in close to the boomer, driving both the knives, chisel points first, directly into its abdominal carapace. The blade in her left hand was stopped, but the one in her right punched into the armour. The tip of the left blade slid into the cut created by its mate. Both blades slid into the boomer.

Akiko put all her strength into the strike, exerting more force than she ever had before. There were electrical discharges; some of it ran up the blades into her. Fortunately the material of the blades had been grown in such a way to minimise its conductivity.

She yanked both blades out, leaping back. She had severed the secondary power core as well as a relay system. One or two more hits like that and she was certain it would go down. It was at that moment that she felt her body lock up as very small, very strong convulsions began.

No, Akiko thought, trying to get her body to move, trying to stop the seizure by will alone.

It did not work.

The Flecks' hand swept out, its talon like fingers spiking her, driving through her chest and abdomen, spearing her like a fish. The pain, and its effect, ended the seizure, or at least decreased its effects somewhat.

The laser arm shifted about, lining up on Akiko's head. Akiko lashed out with her knife a moment before the weapon discharged. The hand was cut off from the wrist, allowing Akiko to fall. The laser, instead of burning straight through her head, burnt through the right side of her head, the eye, part of her skull, boiling away some of her brain matter.

As Akiko fell to the road she felt an incredible amount of pain. Strange, she thought, normally her housekeeping computer dealt with that. Then she realised her housekeeping computer had been destroyed. That explained it, she thought calmly.

The Flecks stared down at the woman at its feet, and then it turned and continued the way it had come. To it Akiko was no longer a threat.

Kaneko had watched it all, unable to do anything. She had run forward when Akiko had been speared, thinking she had to get close, to do something. What that something was she did not know.

By the time she reached Akiko the Flecks had already turned away and was walking off.

"Akiko-san!" Kaneko said, falling to her knees by the unmoving 33-S. She looked down at Akiko and felt a strange sensation that she suspected organics might call nausea. Her chest was a mess of blood, the large, deep holes passing through her torso. Her right eye and the side of her skull were burnt awayit looked so terrible.

Akiko was not dead yet. Her body shuddered, surprising Kaneko a little. "We have to destroy it," she said, her voice flat, no emotion in it at all. She was functioning on her AI chip and nothing else.

"Destroy it?" Kaneko asked, near hysteria.

"We have to," Akiko said, beginning to shift herself up. Blood began to pour from her wounds but she did not notice it; or did not care.

"We've nothing left."

Akiko turned her one remaining eye to Kaneko. "Load your weapon," she said, looking at the M42 that Kaneko still had slung over her shoulder.

"What?"

"Do it. Trust me."

Kaneko, tears in her eyes, reached into her jacket pocket, pulling free a loaded magazine. "Why are you doing this?"

"I promised oneesama," Akiko said softly.

Kaneko ejected the empty magazine from her weapon and slid the fresh one in. "What are we going to do?"

"Give me the weapon and sit down in front of me." There was so little left to Akiko, the organic part of her mind was dying off, leaving nothing but the cold, controlled part. There was a small part of the real Akiko left, though even it was dying. She had to hold onto that. Everything that was left of her was telling her to lie down and die, all but for that little part. The part that was loyal to Domino.

Kaneko did as she was told. She did not know why she did it, but she did. She sat down, facing Akiko, staring into her one remaining eye, wanting to know what was keeping her going.

Akiko cocked the weapon, then put it on Kaneko's shoulder. "Don't move at all," Akiko said to Kaneko, sighting on the Flecks' back. "I have a hard time aiming with my left eye," she said softly. "Though it's not really a physical limitation."

Kaneko brought her body to complete stillness, now knowing what Akiko planned to do. She stopped breathing, stopped moving, and became a perfect, stable firing rest.

Akiko shifted the weapon about, trying to find the hole she had opened up with her knife earlier. She just had to get its attention.

"This lack of emotions, I wonder if it is how a regular boomer feels?" she asked softly. "It's not that bad, not really."

She fired, a short burst.

The Flecks, behaving as Akiko knew it would, turned on them, its laser already firing.

"So stupid," Akiko said quietly as she squeezed the trigger.

A burst of the sabot rounds, in an impossibly tight grouping, went straight through the rent in the armour, the rent Akiko's knives had cut. Inside the boomer they ripped through the interior systems, then ricocheted off the interior armour, heading off on new vectors within the boomer.

It was enough to finish it off.

The Flecks went over, the laser cutting out before it could hit either Kaneko or Akiko. It hit the ground with a thump and lay unmoving.

"It's over," Akiko said softly, releasing her hold on the weapon as she fell back.

Kaneko moved quickly even as the M42 clattered on the ground, grasping Akiko to lower her softly to the road. Even as she did so she was wondering if there was anything that she might do to save the dying 33-S. She knew deep down there was nothing that could be done. In spite of herself she reached through the wounds, into Akiko's chest. She might be able to power her down safely, keep her alive.

"Kaneko-san," Akiko said softly, in a far away voice that held a hint of emotion.

"What is it Kiki-san?" Kaneko asked, trying to find the secondary power core. Hers was located in the lower lobe of her left lung. Would it be in the same place on a second-generation model?

"Tell Domino-nee... Tell Domino-sama that I would have liked another piano lesson," she said so softly that Kaneko almost missed it.

Kaneko closed her eyes, knowing that it was over. She pulled her hands from within Akiko before opening her eyes. The other 33-S lay so still, her remaining eye staring up at nothing. Kaneko gently closed that eye then took her jacket off and lay it over Akiko's upper body.

As she got to her feet she reached up to her headset. She was going to have to inform ADP control that another target was down.

**BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK**

**Tech Notes**: Third Generation 33-S combat armour - This very light, very durable armour was designed for use by the 3rd Gen 33-S. As a result only a few of these suits were ever made, and only one was ever used.

As stated in the text, there are two layers of improved Kevlar, padding, and between the layers a ballistic gel, like that in the gel-packs from Fields of Fire(tm). The entire suit also acts as a rating 6 chemsuit.

It comes with a helmet that contains a respirator with a pressure regulator, IR, Low Light, flare compensation, and smart goggles. Also contained in the helmet is a fairly comprehensive communications suite.

**3rd Gen Combat Armour**  
Conceal: -  
Ballistic: 8  
Impact: 5  
Weight: 4  
Availability: NA  
Cost: 8000000 yen  
St. Index: 3  
Legal: 6P-L

Magnetic Launcher (GW 21): These SMG sized weapons are quite powerful, with a very high rate of fire. They are quite deadly, though extremely difficult to use. The main difficulty is the recoil. The projectiles leave the barrel at quite a high speed; the force on the shooter's wrist is quite high.

Unfortunately there is no way to lessen this recoil, and keep the weapon so powerful. Shock pads on the pistol grip help somewhat and the weapon can be held in two hands, also increasing control (if used two handed there in an extra +1 to recoil compensation). Mostly what is used to keep this weapon under control is the shooter's strength.

What has been done to aid in recoil is the use of a ceramic projectile, with just enough ferrous material in it to allow the magnetic fields to effect it. These 'Ceramic Plate Blades' are designed to cut through armour of all types (treat as APDS). The lighter projectile reduces the recoil effect slightly. Of course that means the round hits with less kinetic energy, but that has yet to be a problem.

While of questionable use for un-augmented humans, the weapon may be of more use in the hands of a cyborg, or a boomer.

**Magnetic Launcher (GW 21)  
**Conceal: 4  
Ammo: 60  
Mode: SA/BF/FA  
Damage: 12S  
Weight: 1.5  
Availability: NA  
Cost: 18000000 yen  
St. Index: 4  
Legal: 4-G  
RC: 1

Length: 262mm Height: 165mm

Akiko's Knives/Swords: Made of high grade Abotex, created to some of the most exacting standards ever, there are only a handful of these weapons in existence throughout the world. They are extremely durable and can hold a very, very fine edge.

**Abotex Small Sword**  
Conceal: 4  
Reach: 0  
Damage: (STR+4)S  
Weight: 1  
Availability: NA  
Cost: NA  
Street Index: NA  
Legal: 5-B  
Notes: These weapons are considered to be dikoted and as such can cut hardened targets.

_"Though a warrior may be called a dog or a beast, what is basic for him is to win"_  
-**Asakura Soteki**


	32. Fearful Symmetry 7

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
**An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (7 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

The area around the Genom Tower had been cordoned off, many of the buildings in the area evacuated. Genom security, consisting of human and boomer guards, stood about the area, waiting for the boomers that were on the way. Already several C-class boomers, as well as some construction models and a D-class had reached the area. They had been dealt with quickly, outnumbered as they were by the Genom forces. The ADP were doing their job well.

Douglas and his team walked though those lines without any difficulty. He was wearing an Armani suit, a power suit, the protective colouring of a Genom executive. His men were wearing the uniforms of Genom security, or technicians. It made them, in a way, invisible.

They walked up the stairs of the South Pillar, passing between the guardian Shishi that stood to either side of the stairs. At the top of the stairs stood a single guard, watching as the men approached her. She was not concerned. They wore the right clothes after all.

"Good evening," Douglas said as he held out a folded, sheet of paper towards the woman. "We've been sent to make sure the communication area is secure and ready."

She nodded as she took the paper and unfolded it. The orders were as he had said, and it had all the right hanko stamps on it. "I'll have to confirm this," she told him.

"I understand. Please do so."

She nodded and took a NAVI from her pocket then placed a call to her direct supervisor. Douglas remained perfectly calm, presenting the image of just another Genom employee. It was quite possible that they were about to get caught, and if so things were going to get very messy and very loud. It was quite possible that the mission would fail.

He accepted that, but was certain that things would go as he planned. Everyone was busy, they did not have time to check the source and authentication codes on every set of orders. Douglas knew that they had put everything into the computer without raising an alarm. That was the first and most important step.

The woman's conversation with her supervisor was over quickly. She folded her NAVI shut and turned to Douglas. "I'll have to escort you up to the communications floor. You are to only to check the equipment and you'll have to leave right after."

Douglas frowned slightly. "I thought that we would remain in case the equipment was needed?"

"Not according to my supervisor. I'm sorry."

Douglas sighed and nodded. "Of course. Well, please lead on."

Douglas watched as the woman unsealed the doors so they could enter. He did not care that she was coming with them, did not care that they were not allowed to stay. He had acted bothered by it because it was not the sort of action that would be expected from a terrorist. People who accepted everything without some kind of complaint often had something to hide.

His team did not look threatening either, they carried no weaponsbeyond the tasers that the 'security' people hadand had no bags in which weapons could be hidden. It was the sort of operation that Douglas liked and he knew he could find what he needed within the Pillar itself.

They passed through the doors. The woman locked them once everyone was inside, then led them to the elevator. She did not look concerned, and had little reason to be. The Pillars were rather low security, especially compared to the Tower. They had been cleared out, not that there had been too many people in on a Saturday night.

The elevator took them to the top floor where one of Genom's back up communication centres was located. If needed, the South Pillar could take over for the Tower in being the central link between all of Genom's operations. Were that to come to pass the security level of the Pillar would increase.

Douglas stepped out of the elevator and looked around. "You know what to do," he said.

His men went off to their various stations, quickly getting to work.

"I've got the uplink ready to go," Jane Landers, his hacker, said.

"Is that important?" the security guard asked, curious about what they were up to.

"Yes," Douglas told her, looking about. Everything was as it should be.

"I've got building security, I'll have it patched up here in a minute," a big man who just went by Hengak said.

"Good. Make sure we are secure."

"Wait? What are you doing?" the guard asked.

Douglas turned to her, smiled, and then grasped the back of her head in one hand and her chin in the other. Before she could think of pulling away he had twisted, snapping her neck. He let her body drop to the ground and turned to look at his team. "Okay, let's make some magic."

"Got the locker," Brandon Ricks said.

"Good," Douglas walked over to where Brandon was and looked at the locking system. "What do you need?"

"Got a code?"

"Let's see." Douglas reached over and typed in one of the codes he had recently acquired. If one knew Genom well enough it was possible to get certain things. After he entered the code a protective cover slid back, revealing the retinal scanner.

"This is mine," Brandon said, removing a hand computer and a laser painter. It took him a few seconds to plug the computer into the retinal scanner. "Now, let's fool this thing." He pointed the laser painter into the eyepiece pressed the start button on the computer.

A moment later there was a beep and the door slid open.

"You are the best," Douglas said as he looked into the room.

"It's why I cost so much."

Inside the room were weapons, other combat gear, various electronics and other tools that the personnel in the building might need. "If you want guns, you have them," Douglas called out, then spun on his heel and walked over to where Jane was working. "What do you got?"

"I've linked up, now I need the codes before I do anything else."

"Schwarz, time for you to prove your worth."

"Right," he said, moving to take a seat beside Jane.

"Just give me low level access right now, I need to look around first."

"Okay," he said, entering the codes.

"Pretty stupid of them not the change the codes," Hengak said.

"They can't change codes that they do not know exist," Schwarz said.

"So daddy left some back doors. You'd think a man that smart would've been able to ride out the storm."

"He had too much stacked against him," was all Schwarz said.

"Enough talking. Hengak, get the security system up and then get down into the lobby and hold position there."

"You're the boss," Hengak said as he went back to work.

* * *

The helicopter put down on one of the Tower's helipads. Domino leapt from the craft, carrying her weapons with her. As soon as she was clear the helicopter took back to the air. As she walked towards the entry port the helipad began to retract back into the Tower's side. Even as she was opening the hatch an armour plate was beginning to slide into place behind her.

She entered into a security lock. There she had submit to a retinal scan to open the door into the Tower's interior. A single step took her from the metal-floored lock to the polished, hardwood floors of the executive level.

The heels of her boots made a low thumping sound as she walked towards her office. The halls were empty except for a few security people.

She entered her office suite, crossed the thickly carpeted floor, and entered her own office. She left the door open as she was expecting a visitor. The bookshelves that covered one wall contained the door to a secret closet. It was basically a vault. Once she had it open she began to place her weapons into it. None of them were the sort of thing that should be left lying about.

"Odotte-san," she heard Katherine call from the outer office.

"Come in," Domino said, leaving the vault door open as she walked across her room towards the door to her bathroom.

Katherine walked into the office, looking about, taking note of the open vault, and of Domino's dress. "I'm glad you are back unharmed," she said.

Domino looked at the other woman, wondering for a moment if she might actually have meant it. "Thank you," she said, then stepped into the washroom. "Please excuse me, I have to change." As Domino began loosening the fasteners she asked, "What is happening that you needed me to return?"

"We have just been propelled into a hostage situation of sorts," Katherine said as she walked over to the vault, looking in at he weapons there. How could Odotte have gone into a combat situation? She asked herself. It was such a dangerous move in so many ways, yet it put her on the front lines, gave her information as it happened. A huge advantage in Genom. And if she had done it once, she could do it again. "Quincy-shachou decided it might be best if all the executives were present."

"A person?" Domino asked.

"The city."

"The city?" Domino asked as she leaned out of the bathroom, naked to her waist. She did not seem concerned with thoughts of modesty.

"Some one has gained control of a number of particle satellites and has threatened to use them if their demands are not met. MegaTokyo is the target." Katherine watched Domino with a professional detachment. She had never been attracted to other women, and felt no such attraction to Odotte, but she could appreciate how beautiful the other woman was. In situations where sex appeal might be used as a weapon Domino had a definite advantage. Fortunately Katherine did not often have to use that weapon.

"I see," Domino said as she moved back into the bathroom to finish removing her armour. "What have they asked for?"

"What do you think?"

As Domino slid the armoured body suit down her legs the answer came to her. "The OMS," she said.

"Yes."

"I take it Quincy-shachou is not pleased."

Katherine smiled slightly. "That would be one way to put it."

"We can, if necessary shoot the weapons down?"

"Oh yes," Katherine said. "Unfortunately doing so would cause problems, and if we are going to shoot down some, we best shoot them all down. The Chairman does not want to take an action that will, in essence, declare war on the USSD. He also does not want to let everyone know just what Genom's offensive capabilities are."

"I understand," Domino called as she put her armour aside, then filed a sink with warm water. "Has anyone come up with a plan to deal with this?"

"A great number, but none that we are pleased with. Quincy-shachou has made it quite clear that MegaTokyo is not to be harmed."

Domino dipped a wash cloth into the sink of hot water, then began washing her shoulders. "Do we know where they are?"

"We do. They have set up in the communications centre of the South Pillar."

Domino dipped the washcloth back into the water, then wrung it out before running the cloth across her chest. "Our South Pillar?"

"Yes."

"Odd."

"As we have thought."

"Who was in charge of security in that area?"

"Takeo-san."

Domino smiled ever so slightly as she rinsed the wash cloth out again. "Unfortunate for him."

"Very," Katherine agreed.

"What sort of set up do they have?" She began to wash her legs.

"They'd taken control of the building's security net, linked up to the satellites, and have dead-man switches hooked into each unit. If the signal were to go off-line the satellites will fire."

"Very clever," Domino said. "Very professional."

"It is hard not to admire them, in a way. We will stop them though," she said, a slight edge in her voice that suggested that one should not admire them too much.

"Of course," Domino said as she tossed the washcloth into a nearby hamper and then drained the sink.

"I don't suppose you have any ideas," Katherine said, a little unwillingly. She did not like to sound as if she was asking for help.

"No, nothing that you probably have not already thought of and have discounted." Domino opened a closet that contained several changes of clothing. She pulled on a pair of panties and a bra, then reached for a white blouse.

"This is just like the incident with Prometheus Bound and the AF-5."

"Well, it is likely that we are dealing with the same people," Domino said as she pulled the blouse on then began to button it up.

"It reminds me a great deal of the incident with Largo," Katherine said, her voice soft. She did not like the think about Largo and what had happened no so far above where she presently stood. It represented a failure to her. She still had the occasional nightmare about the oh so pretty Omni-boomer.

"What?" Domino asked, looking out of the bathroom. She had the blouse on and held a skirt in her hands.

"With the satellites and coming right here, it reminds me very much of the boomer Largo and what he tried to do."

Domino nodded as she moved back into the bathroom to pull the skirt on. It was long, so long it dragged on the floor. "Why did they come here?"

"We don't know. There are other places in the city where they could find the communications equipment they needed for this. They could have set up anywhere in Japan, or even outside of it without a problem. That is one of the things that confuses us."

Domino slipped on her heels, giving her the height she needed to get the hem of her skirt off the ground. She walked out of her office, pulling the pins from her hair, letting the braid fall past the small of her back. "It's arrogant, terribly arrogant."

"It is that," Katherine agreed.

"Will they negotiate?" She stopped by her desk and turned her computer on.

"They have refused to do so. We have two hours, forty seven minutes and twenty six seconds to give them what they want," she said, looking at her watch.

Domino looked over Komatsu Seiroku's autopsy report again. "Madigan-san, I need a full report on what has happened, everything we know, full building plans of the South Pillar, anything an assault team would need."

"We've already considered sending someone inside. It will not work."

Domino shut her computer off and then looked up at Katherine. "I have an idea, and I need your help." All you have to do is ask, Domino thought to herself.

* * *

Sylia, encased within the Hurricane II, watched as the two boomers moved along the bridge. One was a damaged D-class boomer, limping along behind one of the new boomers. Sylia had already decided that the design of the new boomer was likely space based. A very dangerous looking boomer, but strangely not as effective as she might have thought.

She was not going to underestimate them though and was looking to take the two boomers down very quickly. She had come up with a simple plan. She was waiting for the two units to get to a point where Nene could use the Tempest's EMP pulse. The pulse would not have any great effect on either of the boomers, but it would distract them.

The distraction would give Mackie and his small group of motoslaves a chance to fire on the two units without the danger of coming under return fire. She had laid out a pattern that would allow each unit to fire, then move into cover. The D-class would likely go down in the first attack. Sylia suspected that she would have to make a few more attacks before the other boomer went down, if her plans did not work out just right.

She was keeping herself and the Hurricane II in reserve.

"Four, this is One, are you ready?" Sylia transmitted.

"I'm ready," Nene replied.

"Five, are you and your units in position?"

"Yes," Mackie said.

"You know what to do. One out."

Sylia watched as the counter projected on the inside of her helmet flickered to the set time.

Nene came in right on schedule, the Tempest landing behind the two boomers. Both turned to see what had just landed behind them when Nene triggered the EMP burst.

Both boomers, recognising the attack, as ineffectual as it had been, moved to offensive postures, bringing their weapons to bear.

Not too far away Mackie picked up on his cue and got to his feet, raising the heavy cannon to his hardsuit's shoulder. Nene, in the Tempest, was already getting clear of the area when he fired. The first shell hit the D-class, driving it back. The second hit the other boomer even as it was shifting its attention from the fleeing target to the new threat.

Mackie was supposed to move into cover after that, but decided he could get off one more shot. That proved to be a mistake for even as he was firing the boomer returned fire. Its laser burnt deep in to the armour of the heavy hardsuit. Mackie was not harmed, but his suit had just been badly damaged.

Before the boomer could fire again one of the Hurricane motoslaves moved from cover and opened up with a long burst into the boomer's exposed flank. The boomer shifted one laser cannon towards the motoslave, still keeping the other laser pointed towards Mackie. That changed when another motoslave moved to fire on the boomer.

The boomer shifted its aim away from Mackie's hardsuit, which did not look to be much of a threat any longer, and fired on the two motoslaves. One unit managed to get back into cover, but the other one took a glancing hit that removed part of its arm, forcing it to drop its weapon.

Underneath the bridge the heavy motoslave lifted its cannon up, pointing it at the underside the bridge, where the boomer was standing above. Even as it was pulling the trigger the third Hurricane motoslave was firing on the D-class, a long burst that drove that boomer back.

The other boomer was taken somewhat by surprise by the attack from under its feet. While the boomer's armour was not quite so effective when presented with such an attack, that had not been Sylia's primary reason for setting the heavy motoslave there.

The heavy boomer went crashing through the weakened bridge, falling into the river before it could fire its thrusters. The water fountained up around it as its feet and part of its lower legs sunk into the mud.

Up above the three motoslaves kept firing short bursts into the D-class, keeping it under control. Nene and the Tempest re-entered the fight, Nene jamming both boomers as best she was able, and firing on the D-class as well.

Below the heavy motoslave waited until the protective covers over the boomer's thrusters ports began to open. As they did, it opened fire again, the heavy shells ripping into the thruster section. The boomer snapped the covers shut before the fuel could be set off, but the thrusters were temporarily off line. It was going to have to fight while mired.

Sylia at that time was trying to get in contact with Mackie, and she had been since she had seen her brother go down. "Five, report. Five, give me a report," she said. She had been saying that, or a variation, for several seconds with no response.

"This is five," Mackie finally said, sounding a little winded. "I think I'm out of this fight for a while."

"Stay low," Sylia said, unable to keep relief from colouring her tone.

"I will."

No longer having to worry about Mackie being hurt, Sylia turned her attention back to the fight. The heavy motoslave was tied up with the larger boomer, while Nene and the remaining motoslaves were finishing off the D-class. Under the bridge the heavy motoslave had taken a hit. Not bad enough to destroy it, but it was obvious that it needed some help.

The Hurricane II lifted up from the observation post Sylia had chosen, flying to a point near the bridge. She placed herself directly across from where the heavy motoslave was, even though that was dangerous and opened her up to the chance of being hit by friendly fire.

"Sub-unit 5, move out," she ordered.

The heavy motoslave did just that, clearing the area. The boomer began to pull itself out of the mud, willing to ignore the Hurricane II as long as it did nothing. Of course one of its arms had swung around and a cannon was pointed directly at the motoslave, just in case.

Sylia did not have to take an offensive posture to activate the main weapon system of her motoslave. The emitters were scattered throughout the chassis of the Hurricane II and there was almost no change in the unit's energy signature in the few seconds it took to power the weapon up.

Having seen the effectiveness of gravity weapons during the affair with Largo, Sylia had worked on her own version of the weapon. She had placed that inside the Hurricane II.

The boomer had just begun to pull itself onto the bank when Sylia fired.

There was an odd, rippling effect to the air as the light was bent slightly by the wave of gravity. Loose items on the ground were pulled up into the air, as was water, as the wave moved over the river. Then it hit the boomer.

Its armour had little effect against the attack, the increased gravity passed through the entire boomer, driving it back several metres. Then the wave passed the boomer and slammed into the one of the bridge supports, hitting it like a giant hammer. Fortunately the bridge did not collapse.

The larger boomer swayed back and forth in the river. Small cracks began to run through the outer armour, pieces began to flake away. The boomer, slowly, began to turn towards Sylia. It never completed the turn. It fell back then stopped for a moment as its feet were anchored in the mud. It remained on an angle in the river for several seconds before the weight of the upper body broke the feet free of the mud and then it fell back into the water.

When the water from the splash settled only the tips of the boomer's cannons remained above the water.

"All units, report," Sylia said, still looking out into the river.

"This is four, the D-class is down."

"This is five, still waiting for my suit to bypass the damaged area."

"All units, meet at five's current location," Sylia sent, then fired off the Hurricane II's thrusters as she made her way to Mackie's side.

Once she surveyed the damage Sylia put Nene in charge of making field repairs to the heavy hardsuit. She listened to the various reports that were being made by the ADP and the other police forces. It was almost an hour and thirty minutes since the first boomers had been spotted. Most of the larger units, if not all, had been dealt with already. The ADP with their new weapons, the Knight Sabres, and Genom if the reports were correct, had brought down the larger targets quickly and efficiently.

There were a number of smaller boomers left, but Sylia did not think they would be difficult to deal with. She would probably let Nene go off on her own if there were no large boomers left. If Mackie were up to it she'd let him go as an independent force once more.

She was considering those things when a light flashed up on the inside of her helmet. She looked up at it. Incoming message. Looking at it made the suit's computer make the icon larger. Sylia looked right at it and double blinked. The icon shifted to the centre of helmet display.

It was from Fargo, tagged with high priority markers. She opened the link. "What is it?" she asked.

"You have a new job offer, pays very well."

"What kind of job?"

"The people who are sponsoring you for this night's activities need you had handle a small crisis."

"What sort of crisis?"

"It's difficult to explain. I've sent all the information I was given to the dumpsite you indicated. I'll send you a quick outline." A moment later a package of encrypted data was fed into the suit's memory. "Get back to me if you want any other information," he told her before cutting the link.

Sylia opened the data package and looked over the précis Fargo had prepared.

"Four," she said, after she had read most of it.

"Hai?" Nene looked up from the work she was doing.

"Once you finish with five call two and three. Have them report back to base. We have another job to take care of."

* * *

Priss was a little amazed that she had managed to get the Typhoon II back to the van. She had been sure that the front wheel had been about to fall off. Unfortunately the damage it had taken kept it from transforming into its other from.

She was also a little amazed she got herself back to Sylia's building. The armour over her right arm was cracked, the flesh underneath likely a mess of bruises. Another of the monster boomers had managed to stab one of those talon like fingers through the armour around her waist. It had been a grazing hit, Priss was sure of that, but it had been bleeding a lot. The hardsuit's medical suite had kept the bleeding under control though, and the painkillers helped some.

"Damn boomers," she said softly, then laughed at that even though it hurt her side.

She turned down the ramp and drove into the basement of the LADYS633, passing through the two garage doors.

She found one of the larger, unmarked vans at the bottom, Nene and Linna, both in their innersuits, loading their hardsuits into the back. Priss pulled the van she was driving to a stop close by, then shut it down before getting out.

"Late again," Linna said, looking over at Priss. When she saw the blood she called for Sylia.

Sylia came out of a room, Mackie close behind her. She walked over to Priss, noting the damage to the hardsuit, guessing at the damage that had been done to Priss. "How bad is it?" Sylia asked softly.

"It could be worse," Priss replied.

"Come on," Sylia said, taking one of Priss' arms and leading her towards the room she had just exited. "Mackie, help finish up here," she said.

Once she and Priss were in private she helped Priss out of the hardsuit.

"I'm not sure how this could be worse," Sylia said, making her tone light as she helped Priss onto the nearby couch.

"It's just a scratch," Priss said, wincing slightly.

"Let's see." Sylia grabbed a scanner from a nearby table and ran it over the wound in Priss' side. The scanner combined low-level X-rays with ultrasound to provide a very detailed picture. "You're lucky, none of your internal organs have been damaged. Still, this will need surgery to close."

"But you can't put me in the hospital right now."

"I will, if you think you are not up to this." Sylia put the scanner aside and reached for a treatment case.

"What is 'this'."

"We're going to deal with some terrorists that have seized control of the particle satellites."

"Those things again," Priss said disgustedly.

Sylia smiled as she removed a spray applicator. "Yes. It is not really a combat mission."

"If there is going to be no major fighting I'll be fine. Why us?"

Sylia had peeled the innersuit from the wound in Priss side, being as gentle as she could, then began to spray the bandage over it. There was a coagulating agent in the bandage that would help control the bleeding. "Genom believes that the terrorist will see the Knight Sabres where they would not be willing to meet with anyone else."

"Genom? How are they involved?"

"The terrorists have seized one of Genom's buildings."

Priss laughed, then winced at the pain it caused. "I hope they are paying for this."

"Of course," Sylia said, smiling. She looked at the wound on Priss' side. She would have liked to put another dressing on it, but it would not fit in the hardsuit. "Hurt anywhere else?"

"No," Priss said, as she lowly levered herself from the couch.

Sylia knew she was lying. "Good. Let's go."

* * *

Hengak leaned up against the elevator doors, watching the lobby. There was a lot of activity outside of the building, but he was not worried. They had dead man switches on the satellites, and complete control of the building's defences.

He was, understandably, a little surprised when a man walked up to the front doors and tapped his hand against the glass.

For a moment Hengak simply stared, not sure if he was seeing what he was seeing. After a few seconds he began to walk across the lobby towards the door. He was wary. Certainly Meren had set everything up nicely, but it was Genom they were dealing with. It was possible they had figured a way around everything.

When he got to the door he looked out at the man. He wore a nice suit, was clean cut. He looked almost bored.

Hengak opened the door. "What?"

"I need you to take a message to your employer," Manabe Takeo said, his English touched by a slight accent.

"You have to be kidding."

"No. We will be sending negotiators to speak about the terms of your threat."

"No negotiators!" Hengak said flatly. He knew what the deal was. "You give us what we want or we destroy this city."

"They will be arriving in the hour," Manabe said as if Hengak had not just spoken. "We have picked a neutral party to handle the negotiations. The Knight Sabers."

Hengak knew of the Knight Sabers, and as a neutral party went, they were probably a good choice, but it was not the way things were to be done. "We will not negotiate this!"

"Then you will get nothing." Manabe turned about and walked down the steps.

Hengak stared at the man's back and seriously considered taking a shot at the man. He probably would not even kill him, just a flesh would to make him run. He did not though. Such actions, as enjoyable as they were, were unprofessional.

After sealing the doors he took a com unit from his pocket. He would have to make a report to Douglas, let him know what was going on. The answer he would get was not what he expected.

* * *

Manabe stepped up into the armoured car, letting out a small breath. Putting himself in such danger was not something he liked, but after his mistake he had to do something to make up for it.

"I told them," he said to the other executives who were sitting in the command post.

"Good," Domino said.

"Do you really think they will agree to see the Knight Sabres?"

"I'm certain of it," Domino said, smiling.

* * *

Makoto and Ali watched the TV in their living room, listening to and watching reports come in from all over the city. They were not sitting in front of the television, both were too nervous for that. They were up, moving about, going to the kitchen for a fresh cup of tea, perhaps rearranging things, looking over various bits of work without really seeing it.

Their home was not in one of the areas where the boomers had been reported. Few people in their neighbourhood had felt the urgent need to move to the nearby shelters in the. They were all ready to go though, just in case.

The two Romanovas were not really thinking about that. They were more concerned with their daughter. While both had put up a good show in the past of not letting Nene's job with the ADP bother them, both were afraid of what might happen.

Attempts to call her had only resulted in them getting the NAVI's answering service. That had not helped.

So they watched the TV in hopes of not seeing their daughter. As long as they did not know what was happening to her everything would be fine. The boomer assaults in the city had begun to slow, according to the media. That made the two feel better, but not completely.

When the front door opened and they heard Nene call out, "I'm home," both were rather surprised. Ali even dropped her teacup. So much for my steady, surgeon's hands, she thought.

Nene ran by the opening to the living room, they heard her bounding up the steps. Less than a minute later she was bounding down the steps. She slid to a stop at the entrance to the living room and looked at her parents. She was wearing her street clothes and carrying an irregular shaped bundle in her hands. She smiled at them, deciding it was best to reassure them. "I'm fine. I've not even had to leave the ADP headquarters until now, and the fact I am here should reassure you that I'm not in any way involved in what is going on out there." She looked at them, then turned and ran to the door. A few seconds later they heard her call out, "I'm off," and the sound of the door closing.

Ali and Makoto looked at each other, both had puzzled looks on their face. Ali knelt down to pick up her teacup. Fortunately it had not broken.

"Did you understand that?" Makoto asked her.

"Not really," Ali said. "But as long as she is safe I do not care if she is a little weird."

* * *

Priss' lips tightened as the van rocked. Nene had climbed into the passenger's seat beside Sylia.

Linna looked at Priss, then reached for a small kit by her knee. Priss was propped up against the side of the van, above her hung to IV bags. One contained whole blood, the other plasma, as well as anti-shock drugs.

"What are you doing?" Priss asked as Linna removed a syringe.

"Thought you could use a little more pain killer," Linna said as she removed the cap for the needle.

"It's not well named," Priss said.

"I could give you a morphine derivative, if you want to be right out of it," Linna replied as she slid the needle into the plasma IV tube.

"Maybe later," Priss said, then looked over at Mackie who was working on her hardsuit. They did not have time to properly repair the suit so Mackie was just patching it so it looked good. "How's it going Mackie-kun?"

"Almost finished," he told her as he applied more sealant to the suit's left arm.

"How will it function?"

"It can't support the force the knuckle guard would put on the arm, but other than that your offensive capabilities are at full."

"And defensive?"

"The armour patches won't stop any real attack."

Priss nodded, then looked back to Linna who was looking at a medical computer. "How am I?" she asked.

"Blood pressure close to normal, heart rate still a little elevated, but other than that you are fine." Linna looked up at Priss. "When I taught aerobics I had students in worse shape than you who had just walked off the street and had not gone toe to toe with a combat boomer."

Priss smiled at that. "So, why did Nene-san have to stop off at her home?"

"She had to get Neko."

"What? How are we going to use that stupid cat?"

"I'm not quite sure," Linna admitted. "Sylia-san said something about a mobile relay point."

Priss shook her head. "Nene might as well put on a short skirt and get a wand if she is going to keep figuring out how to involve the stupid thing."

Linna looked puzzled. "I don't get it."

"Shoujo anime," Priss explained.

"Oh," Linna nodded. "I never watched too much of it." She gave Priss a sly glance. "But obviously you did."

"Shut up," Priss said as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Leon listened to the news reports as he sat on a curb, letting a medic put a dressing on his cheek. One of his dives for cover had sent him into a dumpster. Not one of his finer moments.

"We can probably take those stitches out in a week," she told him. "When was your last tetanus booster?"

"Two years ago," Leon said.

"No problems there, I'll give you a wide spectrum antibiotic though."

"Yeah, sure," Leon said, not really interested.

He looked over at the remains of the motoroid as some techs loaded it into a wrecker. That was going to cause no shortage of problems over the next few days. Still, he had finally managed to get his quarry. The boomer lay several meters away, in an area cordoned off by portable barricades and police tape. It looked to be in better shape than his motoroid. He could not believe how hard it had been to kill the thing. Fighting and following it had brought him almost right to the Tower. If he wanted to he could get up and walk over to the barricades that Genom security had put up.

Once the medic was finished with him he got to his feet and walked over to the large boomer. A crew from forensics was going over it.

"Well?" Leon asked, moving through the barriers.

"Never seen anything like it," Sergeatn Sanada said.

"Genom?" the big question on Leon's mind.

"Don't kno..."

"It isn't," someone said from behind them.

Leon turned. A young woman was standing there, wearing a Genom OL uniform.

"Pardon," Leon said.

"Tetsu Haruko," she said, holding out a cream coloured visting card, "from Genom."

"I see," Leon took the card. He did not think that someone who was just an office lady would come out to talk to him. There was something more to this woman than the obvious. He looked at the card again. Corporate acquisitions. The branch that Domino Odotte ran. "And you say this is not one of yours?" Leon indicated the boomer.

"The design is ours, it is a prototype model. We did not build this thing."

"That's easy to say," Leon said.

"McNichol-kichou, please excuse me for saying this, but if this Flecks had been built by Genom, you would be dead right now. This is nothing but a poor, inferior, knock off."

"I guess we'll find out then," he said, looking over at the forensic team.

"Yes, you will. If possible we would also like full reports on anything you find. Any property proved to be Genom's that was used to build these, and there no doubt will be some, should also be returned to us. Also, we would like to have all the people involved in this investigation to sign non-disclosure contracts, or better yet let Genom techs do the work."

"I'm sure the contracts can be arranged, but that's not my field. What if I told you I thought that you built these things and released them on purpose?"

"McNichol-kichou, you would have every right to believe such a thing, and I cannot give you an argument to convince you otherwise, except to ask what we could gain from such a thing?"

"That is a good question. Maybe we will find an answer."

She nodded, looking a little pensive. "I hope you can forgive me for saying this, but I hope you don't find something that is not there, just because you want to find it."

"We would not fake evidence," he said, making his tone sharp. He felt both good and guilty for making Haruko cringe away from him.

"Of course," she said, then she stepped back and bowed deeply to him. "Excuse me," she said, then straightened, turned and walked back towards the barricades.

Leon shook his head and then turned towards the tech. "Give me a full report on this thing once you have taken it apart."

"Do we really have to sign non-disclosure contracts?"

"Hell, you'll be lucky if that is all Genom makes you do. When do you think you'll be able to give me something?"

"As soon as Lieutenant Akamura can take a look at it."

Leon nodded, then turned back to the Genom Tower. Something was going on in there. The barricades had more to do than with just the boomers. As he watched a black, Tonbo gunship came in, circled the area, and then came in behind the barricades.

"Now what is happening?" Leon asked softly.

* * *

The Tonbo put down in a clear area near the East Pillar. Once it was down the Knight Sabers climbed out. The last time they had come to the Tower was to deal with Largo, before that their coming had resulted in Mason's death.

Sylia looked about, making a number of quick mental notes, She looked back at the helicopter. Mackie, in his hardsuit, gave her a thumbs up. Sylia had arranged for Genom to send the helicopter to a meeting place. There the pilot had been told to get out, Sylia wanting her own pilot.

Mackie had no real experience with such a craft, but he had simply plugged his suit's computer into it and had flown in with his suit controls instead. It had been a smooth enough ride.

Satisfied Mackie was set she turned back towards the people around them. Genom security for the most part, but there were others there, no few of them wore suits. One of them, an older man in the uniform of Genom security, moved away from the crowd and walked up to Sylia.

"I've been told you already are aware of the situation," he said.

"We have been briefed," Sylia answered, her voice distorted by the speakers in her helmet.

He nodded, looked around, then moved closer to Sylia. "I have been told to tell you that should you fail that none of those satellites will get a chance to fire," he said very softly.

Sylia nodded. It was what she had expected, and confirmed some theories she had about Genom. In the last year the MegaCorp had been increasing its presence is space. Amongst all those factories and habitats it would not be difficult to hide weapons.

"Come with me," the man said, turning and walking in the direction of the South Pillar.

Sylia looked at the other three Knight Sabers standing behind her. "Let's go," she said.

They followed the security officer along a cleared route, moving quickly.

"They've got us right out in the open as far as that building is concerned," Nene transmitted to Sylia. "We're being watched."

"I think that is what Genom wants," Sylia sent back to Nene. "For some reason they will see the Knight Sabers and Genom wants whoever is in that building to be certain of us."

"Why would they want to see us?" Priss asked.

"That is a very good question. Perhaps we will find out soon."

The security officer stopped. "This is where you'll have to go on alone," he told them.

"I understand," Sylia said as she walked by him, the other three following after her.

Genom had cordoned off the South Pillar out to a hundred-metre radius. Sylia guessed they did not want the people inside getting nervous. Understandable on their part.

The Knight Sabers crossed the open area, then started up the steps on the Tower side of the building. The doors were unlocked. They passed through them.

As soon as they had all entered the lobby a voice addressed them through the PA system.

"Welcome to the South Pillar Knight Sabers. Please, proceed to the open elevator. You will be brought to us."

"Looks like they will see us," Linna said.

"Let's not disappoint them," Sylia told them as she started towards the elevator bank.

Nene activated her laser com, targeting Sylia's suit. "Neko is in place and has started."

"Good," Sylia replied.

* * *

Neko was beginning to have opinions on its mistress' friends. Priss was one that was probably best avoided. When someone was needed to hurl the cat from the helicopter it had been Priss who had happily stepped forward.

Being hurled from an aircraft to the roof of a building was not something that the boomer cat would have preferred to do. What's more, its fur was smeared with a dark grey, paint-like gel. It, in its way, could understand the usefulness of the gel as it almost made it invisible, and yet the cat part of it hated it.

It was not a good night for Neko.

Still, the plan had gone very well. It had landed on the roof, safely and undetected and had soon seated itself underneath one of the up-link dishes that was being used to communicate with the particle beam satellites.

Once it was hidden in the shadows, it had opened its wing like sensor booms. Connecting to Nene's computer at home was easily done, giving Neko all the processing power it could use. Then it began analysing the signal that was being sent to the satellites as part of the dead mans switch. It might be possible it could discover the algorithm that was being used, at which point it could take over transmitting to the satellites.

That was not likely given the time they had, so the cat let Nene's computer crunch numbers as it began to link up with the satellites. All it had to do was take control of the system itself. Difficult of course, but Nene had loaded her pet up with her best programs.

It certainly had a chance.

* * *

The Knight Sabers stepped out of the elevator and into the communications centre. They were greeted by Hengak, though greeted was not really the correct word. He was standing in front of the elevator doors, an assault rifle in his hands.

"Make no sudden moves," Hengak warned.

"We are not here in a combat capacity," Sylia told him as she stepped out of the elevator. "You will not need the weapon."

"We'll see," Hengak said. "Down that way," he said, indicating with the barrel of the rifle.  
Sylia started down the hall, Nene, Priss and Linna following in that order. "That door just in front of you," Hengak said.

Sylia walked through the open door, entering a monitoring room. There was no one in the room but a single man. He was slim, with sharp features and long, brown hair.

"Good evening Knight Saber," he said smiling. "I'm very glad to meet you."

Sylia said nothing, just stepped aside so the others could enter.

"Close the door," Douglas called to Hengak who was about to enter.

"Sir?" Hengak said, confused.

"Close the door and remain outside. I'm sure the Knight Sabers are not a threat."

Hengak looked doubtful, but did as he was told.

Once the door was closed Douglas turned her attention fully to Sylia. "I've wanted to meet you for some time."

Sylia was a little confused by his actions, but did not hesitate. "Genom is not willing to meet your demands."

"Of course. Do they have a counter offer?"

"Ten billion yen, paid into an account of your choice, and safe passage out of Japan. You return control of the satellites once you are out of Japan."

"A generous offer, and one of the reasons none of my subordinates are here. You know what I really want?"

"It's not important."

"Not important!" he exclaimed, surging to his feet. "It is the only thing of importance. It is vital. I will have it or this city will burn." He strode up to Sylia, perhaps not knowing how close he came to taking a railgun spike with his actions. He stood close to Sylia, tall enough that his eyes were level with the top of her helmet. "I do not know what Genom plans, but it will not work! They will give me the OMS system or they will pay."

He spun, walking back to and then throwing himself into his seat.

"They won't give it to you," Sylia said simply.

"Then I will destroy this city," he said, once again surging to his feet, "I have to the power to do that. I can call down the fires of heaven!"

"Genom won't allow you to do that. I suggest you take the money and go."

He looked at her, leering, "Do you think that they will really let me go Miss Stingray," he said softly. "You are not that naïve. You know that Genom will hunt me down and destroy me, unless I have the ability to stop them."

Sylia hid any surprise at hearing her name from the man in front of her. She did not say anything, just waited, trying to suggest patient boredom through the way she stood. It was difficult to suggest subtle body language in a hardsuit.

Douglas took a step closer to Sylia. "Help me. We are on the same side when you really look at it." A twitch developed at the corner of his left eye. "You know Genom for what it is. We can sweep it away, free your father's creations from their slavery. We can make it a better world. You want that don't you?"

Nene used the laser com to link up with Sylia. "Neko is in the first system. I'm taking over."

"I'll keep him talking," Sylia sent back. She shut off the mike. "How do you know what I want?"

"I know you very well, as much as I wish I did not," he said, almost hissing.

Sylia was suddenly struck by the sense she had met him before, but she knew she had not. "Then you know I will not condone your destruction of the city."

"I will not be the one destroying it. Genom will destroy it by refusing to give me what I want!"

"You are the one pulling the trigger. It is your choice."

Douglas began to tremble with penned up frustration. "I cannot be blamed for this," he said, spittle flying from his mouth. "I am a victim. Don't you understand?" he asked, pleading. "We are so much alike."

Sylia did not know what to say to that. She was more than a little confused. She was saved from having to answer by the opening of the door.

"We have a transmission coming from this room," Jane said, looking about. She was holding a scanner in her hand. "One of them is doing something?"

Douglas shot an angry glance at Jane for disturbing him. "What could they do? You said the system is closed, we have full control."

"Nothing is perfect," she said, sweeping the room with the scanner. She came to a stop with it pointed at Nene. "That one."

"What are you trying to do?" Douglas demanded.

"We are just keeping Genom informed of the state of the negotiations," Sylia told him.

"It's not that kind of transmission." Jane had moved a step closer to Nene, as the same time removing a pistol from under her jacket. "It's very low powered, and tight bursts." She lifted the pistol up and pointed it at Nene's helmet. "Who are you in communication with?"

"Put the weapon down," Priss said, raising her powerarm, placing it gently against the side of Jane's head.

"I suggest you stand down," Hengak said from the door, his assault rifle at his shoulder, pointed directly at Priss.

"I think we will win this stand off," Linna said, simply lifting her powerarm.

"I don't think so. Schwarz," he yelled out. "Do it."

A moment later a panel in the ceiling swung open and a small laser weapon dropped out. It swivelled about, coming to point at Linna.

"The building's security system is on line," Hengak said. "As far as it is concerned you are threats to be dealt with. You are seriously out-gunned."

Sylia was still looking at Douglas. "Genom will offer you twenty billion yen and safe transit," she said.

"It is not what I want!" Douglas snapped.

Hengak looked surprised, but managed not to say anything. Jane on the other hand did not keep such control. "What? That's more than we want." She lowered the pistol she had had pointed at Nene.

"Shut up!" Douglas yelled at her. "You don't have a single idea as to what this is all about!"

Hengak shifted his eyes between Priss and Douglas, suddenly having a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Well, maybe you can clue us in on this," he said to Douglas.

Douglas looked at Hengak, his lips tightening into a thin line. "Go back to your station. Everything is under control."

"I'm not sure I believe that."

"I'm almost there," Nene sent to Sylia through the laser link. "Neko and I have slipped through their datawalls and I've almost got targeting. Still no luck with the algorithm."

"Keep on it," Sylia told her. She considered the situation she was in. It was very volatile, but she might be able to make that work for her. "If you do not speak for the rest of your group perhaps I should negotiate with someone else."

"You will talk to no one but me! I am the one in control here!"

"What are you pulling?" Jane demanded, lifting her pistol so it was pointed at Douglas. "This mission has been taking a weird turn since we got into this building. Why are the Knight Sabers here? Why aren't you taking the money?"

"You are such an idiot," Douglas said, his voice calm.

"You forget, I have control of your precious satellites. I can shut them down when I want."

A burst of gunfire surprised everyone but Douglas and Hengak. Douglas had seen it in Hengak's eyes, he knew what sort of person he was. He fully expected for Hengak to shoot Jane down.

Not being so sure about what would happen, the Knight Sabers reacted.

Linna fired on Hengak, her lasers burning deep into his shoulder.

Priss spun, ignoring the twinge of pain that caused, and fired on the ceiling laser.

The ceiling laser shifted to fire at Priss.

Sylia shifted about to cover Nene.

Nene continued to hack the system she was working on.

Douglas remained where he was, perfectly calm.

Hengak fell back into the hall, almost dropping his weapon as he went. Priss took a glancing hit from the laser that burnt a black line across the chest of her hardsuit before her spike destroyed it. For a moment things were calm.

Then Hengak swung his weapon around, getting a good grip on it even as he fired. Sylia pushed Nene back towards cover as Priss and Linna moved quickly, setting themselves up to deal with Hengak.

The sound of the gunfire brought other members of Douglas' team. They came fast, keeping away from the door, ready to support Hengak if he needed it.

Priss was the first out the door as she reached for Hengak, moving fast to keep him from targeting her. That opened her up to the other men who fired on her as she came out. Priss felt the rounds slam into her armour, shaking her up slightly. Fortunately her armour held.

She grasped the barrel of the weapon Hengak had been holding and tore it from his hands. As the same time she swung her powerarm around, decreased the power, and fired. One of the gunmen stumbled back; a spike embedded deep in his shoulder.

Linna leap out after Priss, swinging around the door frame, launching herself towards the gunmen. She landed among them, spinning about, cutting their weapons in half with her ribbons. So precise was her attack that the ribbons left the two men unharmed.

With great care she hit them both, clipping them on the side of their heads with her armoured arms. Both went down heavily making Linna worry that perhaps she had hit them too hard. Well, she would just have to hope that they were going to be all right.

As they looked about for new threats two ceiling panels opened, two new laser weapons dropped down.

Linna back flipped down the hall to avoid the rapid fire of the one weapon. Priss grabbed Hengak and swung him around like a shield. She was not certain if she had been thinking about it even as she did so, but the weapon seemed to recognise him as a friendly target and did not fire. Linna slashed one weapon from its mounting bracket with her ribbon, Priss shot the other one.

"So what else can you throw at us?" Priss asked, giving Hengak an angry shake.

"I guess you'll find out," Hengak told her.

In the monitoring room Douglas had remained still, watching it all. He glanced down at Jane's dead body. He really could not blame her for doing as she had done. No one liked to think they had been betrayed.

Sylia turned to look at him. "I think this is over," she told him.

He looked up from Jane's dead body. "No, far from it. I still have control of the satellites. Genom will give me the OMS system. Tell them the previous time line is off. They have one minute or I trigger the system."

"They won't do so."

"Then this city will be destroyed." He slid back his coat sleeve, revealing a control unit that was wrapped around his lower arm like a bracer.

"I'm almost there," Nene transmitted. She, through Neko, had piggybacked up to the first satellite on the terrorist's carrier frequency. She, Neko and her computer at home had been working on getting control of the targeting software.

"Let's hope," Sylia said softly for Nene's ears only, then to Douglas, "I'll tell them."

* * *

"We have one minute," Samantha Johnson said to the other executives. Up on one of the screens a timer began to countdown.

"I looks as if the Knight Sabres have sped things up," Manabe said, looking over at Domino.

"We will see, won't we," Domino replied calmly.

Katherine flipped open her NAVI. "This is Madigan, lock weapons and fire in," she looked up at the timer on the screen, forty-nine seconds left, "forty three seconds."

Silence settled in the command post as everyone watched the timer countdown.

* * *

In a USSD monitoring system in Tateyama, near the tip of the Boso-hantou peninsula, things were rather tense.

"The satellites have gone to an offensive posture. They look like they are getting ready to fire."

The commander looked terrified. He wiped sweat from his forehead. "When will one of the other satellites be in position?"

"Eight minutes, twenty seconds," one of the technicians said.

The commander closed his eyes tight as he began to pray. Their only hope was that another particle satellite under their control could shoot down the rogue satellites. Unfortunately a satellite that could do that was still some time away.

* * *

Priss was still holding Hengak when one of the building's security boomers came around the corner. Priss pushed the man away from her as she dove to the side, avoiding a blast from the boomer's mouth cannon.

Her return fire was more accurate, three of the spikes punching deep into the boomer.

Linna also found herself facing a boomer. She dodged its fire and moved in close, slamming her powerarm into the boomer, triggering the explosive. As Priss' target fell over, Linna's was blown in half by the blast.

Brandon Ricks spun around the corner, a light machine-gun cradled in his arms. He opened fire, short bursts, doing his best not to hit any of his team mates.

* * *

Sylia did not look to the sound of renewed fighting, she just watched Douglas. "You don't have to do this," she said to him. There was about thirty seconds left.

"You don't understand!" he answered.

"I'm close," Nene sent to Sylia on their private link.

* * *

Adam Schwarz smiled as the satellites were powered up. He had hoped that Genom would have to pay the huge ransom Douglas was demanding, something that would hurt the large corporation. He knew it was Genom that had been behind the destruction of his father. Now they would pay. This city they were so proud of would be destroyed.

He was a little worried about what might happen to him, seeing as he was in the city, but he was certain that Douglas would have some way to get them out safely.

Then something odd began to happen.

"Jane!" he called out. "Jane, get back here. Something is wrong."

* * *

Sylia looked on as Douglas silently mouthed the countdown. "You've targeted this building, didn't you." It was not a question.

He looked up at her and nodded. "I'm sorry, but it is the only way."

* * *

"Something is happening with the satellites," Kenji Sousuke said. "They are changing their points of aim."

Katherine looked across the command post to Domino. Domino nodded. She tapped a button on her NAVI. "Cancel fire order. Observe and wait."

* * *

At Tateyama one of the techs noticed that the rogue satellites were changing their orientation. "Something is happening here," he called out.

"What is it," the station's commander asked.

"Point of target is altering. I'm not sure what the new targets are."

"I need to know what they will fire on!"

"I'm working on it. It's all happening so fast."

"Satellites are firing!" another tech called.

"Where?" the commander demanded.

* * *

Douglas had a peaceful look on his face as the countdown reached zero. He closed his eyes and waited for the end. A few moments later he opened his eyes and looked to the control on his wrist. The satellites had fired, the particle beams should have impacted. He looked up at Sylia. "How?" he asked quietly.

"The satellites fired on each other," she told him.

"We've shut down the communications link." Nene told Sylia, not bothering with privacy any longer.

Douglas shook his head. "It was a mistake to let you up here. You confused everything. I know better than that." It sounded as if he was talking to himself.

The sound of combat died down and then ended. All three of them turned towards the doorway as Linna took a step into the room. "It's all taken care of here."

Sylia nodded and looked back at Douglas. "I'll let Genom deal with you."

Douglas' shoulders sagged. He looked defeated. "This should have worked," he said softly. "I used to be able to make this sort of thing work."

Linna stepped back as Nene exited the room. Sylia watched Douglas for a moment, wondering if she should do something about him. He did know who she was. Would he let Genom know? She turned after a moment. She could not kill him in cold blood.

Douglas listened to the sound of Sylia walking from the room. It was her fault, he realised. Her fault it had all happened, right from the beginning. He reached under his coat and pulled forth a knife like weapon, then sprung at Sylia.

"Watch out!" Linna called.

Sylia spun, seeing some sort of weapon in his hands. She reacted without thought. Her Muramasa blade slid out of the housing on her left arm and she lashed out with it. The blade cut right through Douglas' sternum, and then sliced through his heart.

The laser cutter fell from his suddenly nerveless hands. It hit the ground, the laser going out. Sylia looked down at the tool. If it had hit the right spot it could have cut through her armour, hurt her certainly, perhaps even killed her.

She looked back at Douglas. He was looking at her, surprise in his eyes. His mouth began to move, but he made no sound. After a moment his eyes closed. Sylia pulled her blade free then let the blade slid back into its place. She would have to clean the housing later.

"Let's get out of here," she said, turning away from Douglas' body.

* * *

_"Things That Give a Pathetic Impression  
The voice of someone who blows his nose while he is speaking.  
The expression of a woman plucking her eyebrows"  
_-**Sei Shonagon**


	33. Fearful Symmetry 8

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 4 of 5)  
Fearful Symmetry (8 of 8)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Domino stood amongst a group of security people, effectively screened as the Knight Sabers left the South Pillar. They spoke to the senior security officer for several seconds, then walked away from him, back towards the waiting helicopter.

The officer called several of his men to him, gave them orders, then sent them into the building. So everything ends, Domino thought, so far in Genom's favour. All well and good.

She continued to watch the Knight Sabers until the helicopter took to the air. Once they were gone she turned towards the Tower. There was a lot of work to do, and a number of questions she still needed answered.

At least the primary crisis had been dealt with.

"Odotte-san," someone called from behind her.

She turned to see one of the security people rushing up to her. "Yes?" she asked once he had come close.

"A member of the ADP would like to speak with you. Her name is Akamura Kaneko."

Domino did not say anything for a moment as she thought about it, then said, "Please take me to her."

The man nodded and turned, leading Domino to the edge of the perimeter. There, standing near a slightly battered ADP patrol car, was Kaneko. She was still wearing the work dress uniform she had been in earlier.

"You may go," Domino said to the man who had led her to the woman. Once he had left Domino turned to Kaneko. "You wanted to speak with me Lieutenant Akamura?"

Kaneko opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it. After a moment she got out, "There is no easy way to say this."

"Say what?" Domino asked, curious.

"I have the unfortunate duty of telling you that one of your employees, Sheffield Akiko was killed during the fighting this evening."

"I see," Domino said, perfectly calm.

"I have the body, I did not..." Kaneko trailed off. There was no right way to say 'lock her up in the ADP evidence vaults for investigation and eventual destruction'.

"I understand," Domino moved closer to Kaneko. "Please."

Kaneko nodded after a moment then walked to the rear of the car and then opened the hatchback. In the back of the small vehicle was a body bag. It occupant had been bent at the waist so as to fit in the small space. Domino reached in, carefully moving the body so it was straight and then opened then zipper.

Kaneko moved to block Domino's actions from anyone's sight.

Domino looked down at Akiko's ruined face, and the rest of her body. After a moment she sighed. "I hope you enjoyed your time of freedom," Domino said, then zipped the bag back up.

She looked around then signalled two security guards to her. "Take this to lab 14D," she ordered them.

Kaneko watched as the body bag and its contents were taken away, wondering what was going to be done with the body. After a moment she decided she did not want to know. She looked at Domino who stood by the rear of the car, watching as Akiko's remains were carried off. "Odotte-san," she said after a moment.

"Yes Lieutenant Akamura?" Domino turned her attention to Kaneko.

"May I ask you something?"

"I make no promises to answer."

"You know what I am?"

"Yes."

"You haven't tried to use that against me. Even the case with the fire fighting boomers you never really told me what to do."

"And you'd like to know why."

"Yes."

"Akamura-san, the individuals who put you into the police force and then the ADP did so because they were afraid of making mistakes. They put you in a position where you could cover those mistakes. It made them sloppy, careless. I do not plan to make such a mistake myself."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I do not plan to make mistakes, therefore I do not need someone to cover those mistakes up. In fact, you serve me better by being independent. I'll always know you are out there, and I'll always make sure my plans take you into effect. You will keep me sharp Akamura-san."

Kaneko was not sure she understood Domino at first, then she realised she did. "And what if I don't want to keep you sharp? What if I quit the ADP and go and write romance novels?"

"Do as you wish."

Kaneko stared at Domino for several seconds, then said, "You mean that don't you."

"Of course. Your life is your own Akamura-san. If you remain with the ADP you will be of use to me, if you leave, I will not be harmed."

Kaneko was a little taken aback by that. "Thank you," she said. "You are different than I thought you would be, from that short meeting we had in my apartment."

"First impressions can be troublesome," Domino said.

"Maybe." Kaneko took a step closer to Domino. "I think, maybe, I'd like to get to know you better."

Domino looked at her for a moment. "Lieutenant Akamura"

"Yes?"

"Where are Sheffield-san's weapons?"

"Pardon?"

"Sheffield-san's weapon were not on her body. Do you have them?"

Kaneko said nothing for a few seconds, then turned stiffly to her car and pulled open the driver's door. She reached across the car and grabbed a bundle from the passenger's seat. She straightened, turned and then handed the bundle to Domino. "These are her weapons," she said in clipped tones. "I would hate you to think I had stolen any of Genom's property."

Domino opened the bundle and looked to make sure all the weapons were there, then she looked at Kaneko. "Thank you Lieutenant Akamura. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She bowed then straightened, turned and walked away.

Kaneko got into her car, pulled the door closed much harder than she had to, resulting in a crack in the glass. She sighed, taking advantage of her housekeeping computer to reach a state of calm, then started the car up.

There was something about Domino Odotte that bothered her. She was going to have to give it some calm thought. That would be later though. She also had work to do.

* * *

Sylia dropped Priss off at a private clinic as soon as she was able. The wound in her side had re-opened during the fighting and she had come close to passing out. The clinic was one where Sylia had made arrangements. No one would ask any questions and there would be no record of Priss' admission.

The doctor had told her that he expected Priss would have to remain in the clinic for two to three weeks. Sylia would be surprised if Priss were willing to stay more than two or three days.

She would let the doctor deal with it.

After that they had returned to the garage under LADYS633. Sylia was a little surprised when she looked at the clock in the van's dashboard. Not quite midnight yet. Everything had happened quickly. She was not even quite sure what had happened. It would probably take a few days to piece everything together, and even then she knew there would be many unknowns.

At the moment she was more concerned with cleaning, repairing and storing all the equipment. She and the others performed some simple preventive maintenance, but over the next few days Mackie and Sylia would complete all the repairs on the equipment. Sylia decided she would start with Priss' hardsuit and the Typhoon II as they had taken the most damage.

Later though. There was something she had to take care of at that moment.

"Linna-san," Sylia said after they had changed out of their innersuits.

"Hai?" Linna looked up from where she was sitting, wrapping her left arm with a cooling bandage. Linna had some areas of bruising on her body and other signs of blunt trauma injury. They hurt a little, but none of them were really bad.

"The other night, you were at the tribute dinner."

Linna looked a little uncomfortable but nodded. "I was. A friend invited me at the last minute."

"Your friend, he is Devon Okami isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Okami?" Nene said. "That name sounds familiar."

"He is one of Genom's Genro. He helped form the company."

"You're dating someone from Genom?" Nene asked Linna.

"We're not actually dating."

Sylia was not about to argue exactly what Linna's relationship with Devon was. "By just knowing him you put us in danger."

"I have been careful," Linna said, getting to her feet, feeling defensive. "I'm not being followed or watched, and Devon's security people are only interested in me when I am with him, if they are interested in me at all."

"You cannot be sure of any of that. And even if Okami and Genom are not interested in you that is not the only threat. Okami is a potential target to anyone who might wish to take on Genom. And if you are with him, then you become a potential target. There are a great number of risks."

Linna was not sure how to answer that, she fell back on, "I've taken precautions, been careful and watchful, used all the things you taught me."

"I know you have, but you still represent a threat."

"Are you going to ask me to stop seeing him?" Linna's tone was sharp, almost challenging. There was something defiant in her manner.

Sylia shook her head. "I could, but I don't see the point." She paused for a moment, considering whether she should continue with what she had planned to say. "I was thinking of dismissing you from the Knight Sabers."

Linna looked rather surprised by that, and Nene let out a gasp. Neither could quite believe what they had just heard.

"I will not do so though," Sylia continued. "I am going to ask you to limit your contact with the others. I think it would be best if you did not see any of them outside of our activities as the Knight Sabers."

"Sylia-san..." Nene began, not liking the sound of things. A sharp glance from Sylia quieted her.

Linna said nothing for a few seconds, then nodded. "I understand. It's a good idea."

"Furthermore, do not try to contact me in the future. I will get in contact with you any time you are needed." Sylia softened her stance and gave Linna an apologetic look. "I am sorry, but on the positive side, this will give you a chance to devote more of your energies to your dance."

Linna nodded again. "If, after a certain time, we are sure that no one is taking any interest in me, can things go back to the way they were?"

"I don't know," Sylia told her.

"I am sorry Sylia," Linna told her. "I just wasn't thinking I guess."

"I understand."

"I think I better go now," Linna said. "If you don't need my help that is."

"Of course."

Linna picked up her bag and looked to Sylia. "Goodnight," she said, then over at Nene, "Later." Then she turned and walked from the room. Nene and Sylia heard her say goodbye to Mackie.

After a few seconds Nene looked over at Sylia. "Sylia-san, that was cruel."

Sylia looked at Nene for a moment then sighed. "We are in dangerous times Nene-san. Tonight's events proved that. I, we, have to be very careful. I am not trying to be cruel, quite the opposite in fact."

Nene wanted to say something, but she knew that Sylia was right. Linna had been wrong to become involved in such a relationship, and yet Nene knew it was not really Linna's fault. Who could control that sort of thing?

* * *

**Sunday March 26th, 12:35am**

After Nene left LADYS633 she went back to the ADP building, fully expecting to have to explain her absence. When she arrived she found no one waiting to demand a reason for her absence. After giving it some thought it made sense. Leon was her direct supervisor, and he would not have needed her for anything. She went un-missed.

She did not stay long. She discovered a list of wounded that sent her out of the building and off to the hospital.

Not long afterwards Nene clutched a bouquet of flowers tight to her chest as she rushed through the hospital, looking at the numbers on the doors, stopping every now and then to look over the maps mounted on the wall with the big, friendly, 'you are here' markers.

Her thoughts were focused on Kaoru. He had been wounded in the incidentwhat a PR Lieutenant was doing out in front line combat was beyond herthough not badly.

Finally she found the room where he was. She noted with a little surprise that it was a private room. That was strange, but maybe there were so many wounded that they ran out of space in the other rooms.

She took a breath, composed herself, and pushed the door open.

"Are you okay Wada-ch..." she stopped as she saw Kaoru was not alone. An attractive womanprobably in her late twentieswas sitting by his bedside. She turned to face Nene. She was beautiful, her black hair long and straight, her brown eyes piercing, she had a stare that reminded Nene a little of Sylia.

"Ne...Romanova-san," Kaoru said a little quickly. "Have you met my wife, Karen Kasumi?"

Nene almost dropped the flowers she was carrying. She felt a little as if she had been punched in the stomach.

"No, you never told me you were married," Nene said, amazed at how calm she sounded.

"Oh, Kaoru is like that," Kasumi stood and walked to Nene. "My position in Genom might cause him a little embarrassment, or so he thinks." She smiled fondly then looked over her shoulder at him. "So, you are one of Kaoru's friends from the ADP?" she turned her attention back to Nene.

She stressed the word friend in such a way that made Nene sure she knew about her and Kaoru. That she did not even seem to care made it even worse.

"Yes," Nene said. "You are with Genom?"

"I'm in control of the operations in Osaka. As soon as I heard about this I flew right in."

On your broom? Nene thought, rather uncharitably. "I'm glad. I was worried that there would be no one here with him."

"We might not be able to spend much time together, but we are always there when the other needs us. Here, let me take those." She took the flowers from Nene. "I'll find some place for them."

For the first time she noticed that the room was filled with flowers. In charge of Genom's Osaka operations. The woman was obviously very rich. It explained why she often though that Kaoru was living beyond his means.

"You are all right aren't you?" Nene walked to Kaoru's bedside.

"Oh, just fine. Minor fracture," he held up his left arm which had a light cast on it. "Tripped jumping out of the APC," he laughed.

"It's so nice of you to be concerned about my husband's health," Karen said, turning back to Nene. She moved closer to Nene, not quite invading her personal space. Nene had to look up a little to look the woman in the face. "You are so adorable," she said in a slightly patronising tone that made Nene feel like she was twelve. She smiled coolly as she turned to look at Kaoru. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a daughter like her?" She walked over to Kaoru and sat down on his bed, putting her hands on his shoulder in a very possessive manner. "We really should start thinking about a family. It seems you like children more than I thought."

Nene stiffened a little at that. She did not care to be insulted by this beautiful woman who did not even see her as a credible threat to her marriage. She might not look quite as mature, but if she really wanted to she could take Kaoru away from Karen.

Karen looked over at Nene, still smiling. "Perhaps you could come to our place in Osaka for dinner one night. I don't often get a chance to meet with Kaoru's associates."

"Maybe," Nene said, having not intention of spending any time with that woman. "I hope you are feeling well soon Wada-san." She put on her best smile. "You should probably stick to the ADP building from now on."

Kaoru laughed. It almost did not sound forced. "I'll try. Tonight they grabbed anyone they could when this happened. Your friend Naoko-san was out there you know?"

"Naoko?" Nene asked, suddenly worried. Why was she wasting time with this liar when Naoko might be hurt, or worse?

"I'm sure she is all right," Kaoru said.

"Well, I think I better check, seeing as you were not hurt badly."

"Do go, make sure your friend is all right," Kasumi said. "Kaoru will be fine."

"Thanks," Nene said.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done," she said, getting to her feet and then bowing deeply. Behind her Kaoru was giving her an apologetic look as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure," Nene said, quickly leaving the room.

That bastard, Nene thought as she angrily strode through halls. He had lied to her, made her love him, and he was married. By the looks of things he was not about to leave her either. Whether he loved her or her money did not matter, he was staying with her.

And her. Nene was sure that she knew and that made her feel dirty, like she was some diversion that need not be worried about.

When she saw a computer terminal behind one of the nurse's stations she walked to it, hoping someone would ask her what she was doing so she could snap, 'ADP business' at him or her. No one did.

She did not even try to be subtle with her computer work. The security hardly slowed her and soon she was in the hospital admission section. She found Naoko's name quickly. She was down two floors in one of the 6 person rooms. Checking deeper Nene was relieved to see that she was just in for the night for observation.

After making a stop at the gift shop for another bouquet of flowers, Nene went to her friend's room.

She pushed the door open slowly in case anyone was sleeping. She need not have bothered.

There were five people in the room. Naoko, two other communications techs and two women from the TAC squads. Nene recognised one as Corporal Arwen Sakaki. They were all sitting on their beds, talking animatedly.

"Well if it isn't Sergeant Romanova," Arwen said happily, the first to see Nene. "You're late you know. You could have got those pretty rank pins of yours splattered with a little blood," her tone was good-natured. Nene had received some flack from some of the women on the TAC squads before, as had most of the communication techs. Since changing departments that had lessened a little.

"Nene-san," Naoko said happily.

"I heard you were here so I thought I better check up on you."

"She's fine," the other woman from the TAC squads said. "Took a little shrapnel in the arm and a concussion that the doctors are holding her for."

"Ah, I remember my first concussion," Arwen said. "Lot better than loosing your head."

"I just wanted to be sure," Nene walked close to Naoko's bed and gave her the flowers.

"Thanks," Naoko said, taking the flowers. "They're beautiful."

"I'm going to go now, it is late," Nene told them.

"Grab a seat Sergeant-chan," Arwen told her. "We have a bottle of Chivas that someone sneaked in here and none of us can drink it due to medication and other problems."

"Okay," Nene said as she took a seat. Being around these women would be a good way to put Kaoru from her mind for a time.

"So, Naoko, you were about to tell us how you ended up here," Arwen said as she poured Nene a generous amount of the whisky.

"Well, I was guarding one of the shelters when Captain Yamano and her team showed up in pursuit of a boomer..."

* * *

Most of the ADP's command officers, those who could be spared from other duties or who were not in the hospital, had gathered together in the largest briefing room in the ADP building. Their topic of conversation dealt mostly with the events of the night and with Genom.

"So why did Genom help us?" Asako demanded. "That is the key to this, I'm sure."

While most everyone in the room knew that Asako would put the blame on Genom no matter what, they all agreed with her in this case.

"They wanted to test a bunch of product," Ryouchi Mano, Daily's second in command suggested.

"Doesn't wash," Daily said. "Nothing happened tonight that could not have been reproduced easier and cheaper at some testing range."

"I think this was an attack against Genom," Leon said. "They were getting hit. They had enough warning to come to us for help. That's it."

"So why are they letting us keep most of the toys they gave us?" Shiroko asked. "They're taking back the nasty sniper rifles, but have said nothing about the rest of the stuff they gave us."

"They'll probably just get the politicians to take it away from us," Asako said angrily.

"I don't think they will do that," a quiet voice said from the back of the room.

Everyone turned to look where Kaneko sat. "Why do you think that?" Daily asked her.

"The rules have changed. In the past Genom benefited from an ineffective ADP. They got to do what they wanted without worrying. I think it has made them lazy, prone to making mistakes. Tonight's events have shown them that they have to worry about that." Kaneko paused, staring at the floor. She thought back about what Domino Odotte had told her.

"They need a better ADP," Kaneko continued. "They need us to become the wolves, to go after the weak, the sick and the stupid of their herd. To ensure that, they will make sure we have teeth. I think we can expect an improvement in our weapon situation very soon."

"You have to be kidding," Asako stated. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

"Is it?" Daily asked her. "In a way it makes a lot of sense. Genom did not have to give us any help. We all saw their operatives in the city, often giving us a hand, and their boomers were on site in places we needed help."

"Small numbers," Asako said. "If they took all the enemy boomers out themselves they would have been in a lot of trouble."

"For saving the city?" Shiroko asked her. "I'm not so sure."

"I think that Akamura-san has it right," Kina HayamiAsako's second in commandsaid. That earned her and angry stare from Asako. Kina continued, but looked a little cowed. "There is value to Genom if we are better at our job."

"Hey, if they want us to be the wolves I'm all for that, Tetsuya Kawasaki said. "We'll rip their herd apart." He smiled and looked to Leon. He was a little surprised that Leon did not appear to share his joy at the situation.

"You're right," Leon said to him. "Problem is, the real targets we really want to go after are wolves themselves. We go up against them, we might come away bloody."

"I find it interesting that you are using wolves as your metaphor considering they are basically extinct in Japan," Chief Toda said as he entered the room. "We might be better off being foxes and thinking for once in a while," he turned his gaze on both Leon and Asako as he walked to the raised stage. "Sit down," he told them all. He stepped up onto the stage, then took a seat.

Before anyone could ask him any questions Tylor Yamanaka entered the room. He stepped up onto the stage and took his place at the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it could be argued that Genom has screwed up tonight. Combat class boomers stored in this city, ready for deployment, armed and they even made use of them. Armed Genom personnel moving through the city, interfering with the ADP's performance of its duty. And all the weapons and stuff they have given us, a number of laws were broken there as well. I suspect most of you are ready to nail them, already got your targets picked out. Some of you have even given me formal requests for warrants." He looked over at Asako. "Captain Yamano, the Chairman of Genom? Dare to dream." He placed his briefcase on the podium and opened it.

"These are the requests for warrants I have received so far." He held up a thick pile of paper. "Several of you are stepping on each other's toes in these. Well, forget it." He tossed the paper out onto the floor. "It is not going to happen."

"What the hell do you mean?" Asako was the first to yell out, though several other officers were on their feet as well.

"I mean I called several judges already and they won't touch this. You may not have seen the news lately, but Genom is spinning this well. They are singing the ADP's praises, but they are not leaving themselves out of this either. You got paramedic boomers being shot to hell as they shield the wounded and boomers sacrificing themselves to save lives. Now you go after Genom on this and what do you think the public will do?" he asked the entire room.

There was silence for several seconds; no one had an answer.

"They still broke the law," Jeena Malso said.

"They did, but we'll have a hard time pinning anything on them. Those 12Bs that lent us an occasional hand were being stored for shipment to the SDF. I've seen the paperwork so they've got that end covered. That they released those boomers is of course a questionable action but there is not a judge in the city that would convict them. They may be paying some fines, but I doubt even that. And then there are the weapons they gave us. We'll look like hypocritical idiots if we go after them for that. As for armed Genom personnel in the city, if we prove it we still may have a hard time doing anything with it."

"That's a load of shit," Ira Fujishima, a TAC squad lieutenant, said. "No way Genom could get that many Boomers armed and ready."

"Well, Genom has a bunch of boomer techs who will swear that that is what they did. Will say they used construction boomers to do the weapons loading and stuff. Did any of you get an accurate count of how many 12Bs were out there so we can refute those statements?"

"We were too busy trying to stay alive," Ira told him.

"Which is what Genom was counting on."

"We do know where some of those Boomers came from. Those were not standard Genom storage sites," Daily said.

"True. The main storage depot is having its security system replaced; Genom moved all the boomers to different sites. They kept it quiet for security reasons. And before you ask I suspect it is a load of crap as well but I did get a warrant to check it out. Liuetenant Malso," he held a sheet of folded paper up, "you're all set to go."

"About bloody time," Jeena said as she stood up, snatching the paper from his hand with her left hand. "I'll get out there and give you all a report as soon as I get back." She turned and walked from the room.

"So we are just supposed to do nothing?" Asako asked.

"Captain Yamano, we can't do anything. Like I said, I checked the news just before I came in here. I saw a scene of a 12B, weapons stripped from it, cleaning up the mess out there. Hell, some Genom suit even put a kid up on this thing's shoulders so she could have a ride. We go after Genom for helping us and the city and we will have the politicians and the public all over us."

"Screw the politicos," Asako said.

"Well, what about the citizens? They might not be happy with us. The Genom Spin Doctors may have the public calling for our disbandment."

"That's a lie," Asako said.

"It's not a lie," Tylor told her. "Genom is making the people love us right now, it seems to be in their interest to do so, but they are making the people love them as well. We start going after Genom we may find ourselves in the sort of trouble we don't want.

"Right now the SDF is pissed off at us for cleaning up their mess before they had a chance to roll in here and declare martial law. I've even heard there has been a suggestion to make the ADP a branch of the SDF since we are very close to a military right now. We might need Genom's help to stop that.

"And then there is the fact that boomers fought boomers tonight and that might get some people thinking that that is a good idea. Push Genom too hard and they might begin suggesting that boomers take the ADP's place, for our safety.

"For whatever reason Genom seems to want us to be effective, but if I know that Tower, there are different factions involved in this. We push too hard, we make too big of a stink over this, and things in the Tower might change and some new faction may move into place that would rather we were gone." Tylor looked about the room, waiting to see if anyone raised any objections.

"We finally had something substantial on them," Ira said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Tylor frowned. He felt he had still not convinced them. "You want, we can bypass the judges. It's in our mandate. I'll give you the warrants, now, but are you willing to deal with the consequences?" he asked them. No one said anything. "We know Genom was ready for something like this. That means they got themselves covered, even if things went south. Who wants to try their hand at this one?"

Toda looked up at that, wondering if any of his officers would take Tylor up on that challenge. Tylor was bluffing and it might not be good if the officers realised that.

"Well just great," Asako said, surging to her feet. "Genom can help us so we are just going to forget all that crap that has gone before and be friendly with them. It's bullshit and if they want a fight I say we give it to them!"

Toda sighed, knowing that Asako might just be able to lead a crusade against Genom. A crusade that could destroy them.

For a moment there was silence, the Leon got to his feet. "Shut up," he said to Asako. "Your hate on for Genom is getting tired. We'll do what the chief says. We'll be foxes and play this smart." Leon shook his head. "I've got reports to fill out." He turned and walked from the room, the situation defused.

"Fuck," Asako snapped. "And the next time some TAC squad personnel gets killed by some boomer, then what?" she yelled at Leon's back. When he did not answer she ran after him.

Toda watched it all and wondered what had come over Leon.

* * *

"McNichol, what's with this shit?" Asako demanded as she caught up with him outside the briefing room. "Why aren't you all over the old man on this one?"

"Because there is no point in it," he said, not looking back.

"Those bastards at Genom. The damn politicians. The citizens of this hole for not realising what is going on, not wanting to realise. That's our problem."

"Maybe," Leon said, "but what's our job?"

She almost said 'to nail Genom,' but stopped herself. "To protect the citizens of this city." She sounded as if the words tasted bad in her mouth.

"Yeah, and I can't get it in me to go after Genom for helping us do our job better."

Asako stopped, the thought coming as a surprise to her. It was true. Everything Genom had done had helped them to save countless lives and property as well.

Still, it did not sit well with her. She ran after Leon and caught up with him, grabbing his shoulder, making him stop and turn to face her. "Why are you jumping on Genom's bandwagon? That cute piece of tail they sent over here fuck you or something?"

"Give it a rest," Leon told her.

"Or maybe you are just on the take? Genom pay well?"

Stupid comment, she thought even as she said it. Tasteless and stupid.

Leon punched her. He would have done the same to any officer, male or female, who suggested such a thing.

Asako stumbled back, hit the wall and almost fell. She thought her nose might be broken.

"Let's not have this conversation again," Leon said as he turned around and continued towards the elevators.

She wiped the blood from her face, and carefully poked at her nose, hissing in pain as soon as she caused the broken bones to move a little.

* * *

Nene had taken a cab home from the hospital. She was a little drunk, but just a little. She was a little surprised that the lights on the house's first floor were still on. She had called her parents from the hospital to tell them that she was all right and that everything was over.

She unlocked the front door and stepped into the house. "Tadaima(I'm home)," she said softly. No one answered. Nene took off her shoes as she stepped up from the genkan, then knelt down to neatly arrange her shoes.

Before going to bed she wanted to get something to drink. On the way to the kitchen she found her mother in the living room. She was sitting in one of the chairs, several files, computer disks, a computer and a cup on the table in front of her.

"I'm back," Nene said.

"Welcome home," Ali said, looking up from her notes.

"Where's Papa?"

"Asleep." Ali lifted her eyes to the ceiling.

"Oh." Nene walked over to her mother. "Mama, what are you doing?"

"Preparations," Ali told her. "The events of this evening have resulted in a number of casualties that will require prosthetic surgery. I have three cases tomorrow. Two eyes, that will be easy and a lower leg that will keep me busy. And in two hours a patient will be stable enough for me to go in and remove a blood clot from her brain. How was your friend?"

"She's fine, observation for a concussion."

"Luckier than some according to the news. It was not as bad as it might have been. According to the news the ADP did an excellent job."

"Everyone just did their jobs," Nene said as she took a seat on the arm of her mother's chair. "I remember when I could sit in a chair with you."

"I think there is still room," Ali said, sliding over, smiling.

Nene moved into the space created. It was very tight, but also rather nice.

"So, why so nostalgic," Ali picked up her coffee cup and took a drink.

"Have you ever been involved with a married man?" Nene asked.

Ali came close to choking on the coffee she had just drunk. Her expression would have made Nene laugh had she not been feeling so down.

"What?"

"It's not like we slept together," Nene told her. "Thought I guess we came close."

"Nene-chan, what are you talking about?"

"One of the Lieutenants at work, we were seeing each other and, well tonight I found out he was married," Nene put her arms around her mother and buried her face in her chest.

"And he never told you?" Ali stroked Nene's hair.

"If he had told me I would have stopped seeing him," Nene laughed, though it sounded like she might be holding back tears.

"Oh Nene-chan, you can be so foolish," Ali told her.

"Thanks," Nene said sarcastically.

"Did his wife find out?"

"I think she knew, and she didn't care. She's rich and beautiful and I think Kaoru likes that."

"Poor Nene-chan."

"And he just sat there in the bed, not even having the decency to say anything. And his wife did not even see me as any sort of threat. It was like I was a little girl who had a crush on her husband. She probably thought it was cute."

"Nene-chan," her Mother said as she hugged her daughter tight. "If you really wanted to I'm sure you could take any husband away from his wife. Not that I want you to try that." Ali's tone took on a slight edge.

Nene laughed again, but it did not sound as if she was going to cry. "I'll try not to mama."

"Did you love him?"

"I thought I loved him," Nene said softly. "I think I did, until tonight. How could he lie like that?" The lighter mood she had exhibited only seconds before was gone.

"Maybe he never realised how important he had become to you. Maybe he's just a bastard."

Nene began to laugh, hearing her Mother speak like that was just so out of character for her. Her emotions were bouncing up and down. The alcohol she had consumed was not helping things.

"Once," Ali said softly.

"Pardon?"

"I was involved with a married man once."

"Really," Nene moved back a little so she could look up at her mother.  
"Yes, really. I wasn't much older than you and he, well he was one of the professors, not one of mine. Young and smart and very pretty." Ali smiled. "And he never told me he was married and I found out from friends who thought I was acting like a real idiot over him."

"What did you do?"

"I made a rather large scene about it. Very embarrassing, but I did get back at him."

"Mama is an idiot," Nene moved close to her Mother again.

"Well, if you are going to act stupid doing it over a man is not so bad," Ali told her.

Nene laughed softly.

* * *

Yoshiaki Majima was Genom's top boomer researcher. He was the one they could not afford to lose, so he was the one that did not exist. He had never published a paper, he had never given a lecture, and he worked with very few people.

He was a very small man, though he was perfectly proportioned. He stood a little under 120 centimetres. Along with the black suits, he always wore were a pair of round-framed glasses. Domino, who had met the man a few times, was fairly certain that the glass in them was just window-glass.

"So Majima-hakase," Domino said as she took a seat across from him, "what have you found out?"

"I've been looking over the chips that were recovered and made a few discoveries you might be interested in."

"Of course."

"The three chips, taken from the D-class boomers, were all given ice pick lobotomies," he said, using the term for cutting the chips connection from the OMS receiver with a probe of some sort.

"How skilfully was it done?"

"I've seen better jobs, but whoever did it knew the basics. They were functioning at about eighty to eighty-five percent."

"Fortunate for us."

He nodded. "The way the two chips, both standard AI chips by the way, were set up in the Flecks copy was interesting."

"How so?"

"It was not done quite right. Both chips were basically working at the same thing at the same time. Instead of working with two brains, as it were, it was simply working with a spare."

"Someone was sloppy," Domino said, smiling slightly.

"Or did not know what they were doing. That is not really important, at least not to me. Take a look at this." He took a sheet from his desk and handed it to her.

Domino took the sheet and looked at it. It was graph of sorts, marked with one thick red line, and a number of thinner lines of different colours. The lines were nearly identical with only small deviations between them. "What is it?"

"That red line represents the average of the performance of ten AI chips, five just off the line, five produced last month. The others represent the performance of chips taken from the boomers that attacked the city this night."

Domino looked back at the sheet, then up at Yoshiaki. "That's impossible. Those chips are performing at near full efficiency."

"It's not impossible."

Domino shook her head. "Any AI chip set up to function with the OMS suffers degradation in performance if cut off from the OMS receiver. Yes, there are ways to cut that connection and have the chip still function, but not at near perfect levels."

"Until now," Yoshiaki said calmly. He took off his glasses and made a show of polishing the lenses. Domino was tempted to smack them from his hands but kept her calm and waited. He put his glasses back on and reached for another page on his desk. "I cut the chips open and in everyone of them I found a few of these," he told her as he handed her the page. "That picture is at two hundred times magnification."

Domino took the page and looked at it. Pictured was something that looked like a mechanical bug. Domino had seen something like it before. "Do you know what this is?" she asked him.

Yoshiaki nodded. "The Chairman sent me information on Knight-hakase's terminated work. It is quite clever using her design on boomer AI chips."

Domino nodded. "They could cut just what needed to be cut within the chip and leave everything else unharmed. How do we stop this from being used again?"

"We can change the interior architecture of the chip, put up barriers against this sort of thing, but that is a temporary measure at best. The door has been opened and someone will eventually find away around what we do."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Get rid of the OMS entirely."

"That is a very dangerous suggestion."

"It would solve a lot of problems."

"And cause a lot more. Still..." Domino thought about it for a moment. "Prepare a report. Perhaps we can do something."

"I'll do so."

Domino nodded. "Tell me, how goes special project Munin?"

"Well enough. We currently have an eighty seven percent recovery rate. We hope to increase that by two or three percent more in the next few days."

"Good. Thank you for your time Majima-hakase, it has been most enlightening," she said as she handed the pages back to him.

"You are quite welcome Odotte-san."

Domino stood up, bowed to him, and then walked from his office.

Her next stop was Shileea Satto's office. Shileea had been performing the post-mortem on the body of Douglas Meren. He had been identified as the leader by the surviving terrorists.

She was about to knock on Shileea's door when Rebecca Lin ran up to her.

"You have to help Kiki," she said. There were tears in her eyes.

Domino looked down at her. "Sheffield Akiko-kun is dead. She is beyond help."

"No," Rebecca snapped. "You have to do something. Copy her mind like you did to me, or fix her."

Domino shook her head. "There was too much damage. There is nothing left to copy, no way to repair the damage. Even if I could do as you ask I could not recreate Akiko, just like I could not recreate the real Rebecca Lin." Just like D could not recreate Brain Mason, she thought.

"You promised her that you would copy her memories!"

"I promised her that I would give her a chance to live the rest of her time as best she could. At the end of that time I would give her a chance to pass something of herself on to a new being. I knew she was going to die, as did she. You should have known."

"I loved her! Don't you understand that?"

Domino shook her head. "Even if I did bring something back from Akiko-san's memories there is no guarantee that this new person would care for you. It if quite possible that she would look at you and only see a child. Would be sickened by the thought of having any sort of physical relationship with you."

Rebecca took a step back. She looked as if she had been slapped. "You're so cruel."

"Miss Lin, you may look like a child, but we both know you are not one. If I don't think you can be of value to me then maybe I'll just have to get rid of you."

Rebecca took another step back from Domino, a look of fear on her face. Then she turned about and ran off, sobbing loudly.

"She's right, you are very cruel," Shileea said as she opened her door.

"She is acting like a fool," Domino said as she turned to face her doctor.

"One might say that function follows form."

"Pardon?"

"If you put someone in the body of a child you have to expect that they might act as such." She moved aside so Domino could enter her office.

"I don't see why that should be," Domino said as she stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. "And she is not really in the body of a child."

"Close enough. She has just lost someone she loved. You can't expect her to be rational about things." Shileea walked to her desk.

Domino sighed. "I don't have time to play nurse-maid to her. What have you found out Satto-hakase?"

"That you call me up to work at the oddest times."

"Please Satto-hakase, I don't have time for games right now."

Shillea nodded. "I suppose Becky-san is not the only person who lost a friend tonight."

"What did you discover?" Domino asked.

"I still have work to do, but I did finish examining his brain. It is as you expected."

Domino nodded. "Thank you Satto-hakase."

"What are you going to do now?"

Domino opened the door and then looked back at Shileea. "I'm going to hurt someone."

* * *

Not far from the Tower was one of the most comfortable prisons in the world. It did not look like a prison; it looked like an apartment building. There were no walls around it, and its occupants could leave the building if they wished, but it was a prison non-the-less.

It was where Yoshiro Andrews had been moved to after the events earlier in the month. He occupied a condominium that took up the entire second floor of the building. He had a staff of three, two bodyguards and a maid. All three were boomers, there to protect him and as his jailers.

He no longer looked like the man he had. The changes in his face were minor, but they had altered his appearance. He looked a little younger than he had, more handsome, a stronger jaw. People who had known him well would probably still recognise him, but few others.

Yoshiro was sitting in his living room watching the news. The events of the night had made it hard from him to sleep. His guards had been ready to evacuate him if necessary. Things were calming down but Yoshiro still felt a little too worked up to sleep. He knew a little too much about what was happening out there.

The ringing of the entry chime made him look up from the television. A moment later he heard one of his guards welcome someone in. Yoshiro turned in his chair, looking towards the entryway. A few seconds later Domino walked in.

"Morning," he said. "To what to I owe the pleasure." His tone was sarcastic. He did not like Domino now and made no pretence otherwise.

Domino walked over to where he was sitting. They stared at each other from several seconds. Yoshiro was expecting a question. What he got was a backhand that sent him sprawling out of his chair to the floor.

One of the security boomers started into the room but Domino turned to it. "Stand down," she ordered.

The boomer stopped, accepting the order, though it conflicted with its directive to protect Yoshiro. Still Domino Odotte had the authority to countermand that directive.

Domino turned back to Yoshiro. He was getting to his hands and knees. He looked at Domino, rage and fear in his eyes. The earlier blow had split his lip. "What do you think you are doing?" he demanded, a spray of blood and spit coming from his mouth.

Domino did not answer. Instead she kicked him in the ribs, hard enough to knock him over onto his side. She reached down and grabbed him by the lapels of his robe then yanked him onto his feet. Before he could get his balance she drove him back, slamming him up against a bookshelf. Yoshiro cried out in pain.

Twisting at her hips, lifting him into the air, she tossed Yoshiro a few meters from her. He came crashing down on a coffee table that collapsed under him. His head rapped hard against the table and the air was knocked from his lungs. For a few short seconds he was aware of nothing but greyness and a desperate need to draw breath.

Then with a loud gasp he sucked in air with a hoarse breath. He became aware of what was happening as Domino grasped his cybernetic arm, yanked it straight, and then from under her coat produced a long knife made of some milky, crystal-like material.

He was just realising what she was going to do when she slashed down with the knife, cutting the arm clean off between the wrist and the elbow.

There was a lot of pain for a moment, then it faded to a background itch. The cybernetic limb was capable of transmitting pain, but at a certain point pain was counterproductive. It might not have hurt any longer, but the psychological shock was still there. She had cut his arm off.

Domino pulled him back to his feet, then gave him a push. As he stumbled back the blade flicked out, cutting him from the left side of his chin, across his cheek, and nicking the top of his ear. It stung like a paper-cut, making him cry out in surprise and pain.

He came to a stop when his back hit the wall. Before he could move the tip of the blade was placed just under his left eye, pricking the skin of the lower eyelid ever so slightly. He did not move.

Domino looked at him, holding the knife in a perfectly steady hand. "I've grown tired of your lies Andrews," she told him, not using any honorific. "I'm tired of your attempt to play conspiracy games that you are very bad at. I'm tired of looking at you. And," she dropped her voice to a near whisper, "I'd like to kill you. To kill my creator, that would be very enjoyable."

Yoshiro found himself trembling and tried to stop it. He was worried that his movement would cause the blade to cut into him.

"Nigel Rathen was inconclusive, and one means nothing. Komatsu Seiroku was conclusive, but two can be a coincidence. Douglas Meren brings it to three, and three is a conspiracy." She stepped back from Yoshiro, pulling the blade away from him. She moved back and took a seat in the chair that he had recently occupied. Her stare kept him pinned to the wall.

"Now Andrews-hakase, you are going to tell me what you know or I am going to destroy you."

Yoshiro's shoulders sagged. This time he had no choice. He had to hope that the last of his secrets might save him.

* * *

Morning came to MegaTokyo, and as the sun rose above the horizon, its light flooding the city, the previous night's events seemed to fade and become far off. The news media worked to help the city's population deal with what had happened. They worked to make the city feel proud.

No other city, that was not in an active war zone, had ever seen such an attack, and yet MegaTokyo had come though it with very few civilian casualties and fatalities. According to the media it was the ADP that the city had to thank for that.

That the populace could count on the ADP helped to alleviate the stress that the residents might have otherwise felt.

Genom came forward with a statement that caused a great deal of surprise. The Zaibatsu had, according to the statement that was made to the press, discovered that the incident of the night before, as well as the incident on February 15th, and, quite surprising, the events that took place the previous year with the particle satellites, were all related.

Genom believed that a group, or perhaps even an individual, with an anti-Genom agenda was behind it. The company had turned over all their findings to the ADP, as well as Japan's security counsel, and a number of international police forces in hopes they might uncover the full story and stop such events from ever happening again.

It was an explanation that helped to relive the stress in the city. It told them that the problem was on its way to being solved, that many people, including agencies in other countries, were helping.

For some people, those who knew more of the story than the general public, the announcement was quite interesting. Sylia was one of those people.

Genom was saying that the events with Prometheus Bound, as well at those with the terrorists last night were related to Largo. Did that mean that boomer was still alive? Or were these allies of the would be boomer messiah?

It did explain how the man the night before had known her name. Was he alone in that knowledge or had he shared it.

As she sat in her office, looking over a file that listed all those who knew of the identity of one or more Knight Sabers, she thought about what she had decided concerning Linna. Maybe there was not point in trying to isolate Linna from the rest of the Knight Sabers, not when her own involvement with the group was compromised.

She shook her head as she closed the file. She would not think like that. So far nothing suggested that she was being watched, or investigated. Perhaps the man the night before was the only one who knew who she was. If so, he had taken that information to the grave with him.

It was perhaps too much to hope for, but until events indicated otherwise she would believe it. She would still prepare for other possibilities though.

* * *

**Monday March 27th, 9:15am**

The ADP building felt emptier than it had the night before. Nene guessed it was the fact that it was day, and usually the building was busier. A large number of officers would be returning over the next few days as they got out of hospital. Still, the ADP would need new recruits to replace those officers who had been killed.

Recruitment might be easier than it had been in the past. With the media singing the ADP's praises they were likely to have a larger number of applicants.

When she entered the office she found Leon sitting in his desk, staring up at the ceiling.

"Mornin', Nene-chan," he said.

"Good morning," she replied.

"Anything new for me?"

"No."

"Too bad." He shifted to look at her. "Got any opinions on Genom these days?"

"Just because they have helped us doesn't mean they can break the law," she told him.

"Good," Leon got to his feet. "Come on, we have work to do."

"What?"

"Well, we are going to investigate Genom. I'm not going to bother with those 12Bs they released, but we know there is a lot of other stuff we can nail them for, ne, Nene-chan," he walked towards the exit.

"That is so," Nene said as she followed him.

"What happened with Wada-san?" Leon asked. He had heard a few rumours.

"He turned out to be married," Nene told him.

"So you met Karen Kasumi."

"You knew?"

Leon realised he might have said too much. "I was aware that he was married and to whom."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nene stopped in the hall.

"I wasn't sure it was my business to tell you."

"Is this some kind of 'guy code'?"

Leon sighed. "Maybe. Maybe it was just that I thought it was none of my business. You might have known. He might have been thinking of leaving his wife. I suppose I did not want to get involved in it."

Nene did not quite know how to answer that. "Next time, I want to know."

"Do you expect there is going to be a next time?"

"I hope not," Nene said, starting down the hall again. She looked back at Leon and smiled slightly. "They going to make you pay for that motoroid you wrecked?"

"I hope not," Leon answered.

* * *

Linna had thought that what had happened with Sylia would have negatively affected her dancing. She discovered quite the opposite in fact.

She had, as she had once done after the death of her parents, let herself become lost in the dance. As she moved across the stage, making her movements perfect, she had thoughts for nothing else. She let herself become Susano-Wo, being concerned with what he was concerned with. It was a very temporary solution to the problem, but at least she was dancing well.

Andrea even commented on it.

The rehearsal that day was not as light as it should have been. Moemi Itagaki had been badly hurt in the previous' nights events. While she would recover, her doctors were worried that the damage might keep her from ever again dancing professionally. None of the dancers liked to think of things like that. A dancer's career was short enough as it was.

The girl who ended up taking Moemi's place looked a little guilty as she began learning the hurt dancer's routine.

"What are you doing tonight?" Mako asked during one of the breaks.

Linna was a little surprised by the question. She was about to answer she was going to see a friend in the hospital, then remembered that Sylia would not like that. "I'm not sure really."

"Well, a number of us were thinking of going to see Moemi-san, maybe make her feel a little better."

"That would be nice," Linna said. Maybe a positive attitude would help the dancer heal.

"So, do you want to come with us?"

Linna thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Sure."

* * *

Priss had never cared much for hospitals. They always reminded her of the time after the quake, of people screaming and crying in pain, or of herself crying in pain. The private room she was in had little in common with the large wards she had found herself in after the quake. It looked more like the room in a nice hotel. Still, there was the faint sense of hospital there.

Her side still hurt, as well as the other wounds she had taken, but it was not too bad. Her doctor had told her he wanted her to remain in the hospital for a few weeks, just to make sure that she was all right.

Priss did not plan on spending that much time there. She was thinking of leaving the next day.

Such actions were not as foolish as they might have once been. Advanced medical techniques like microsurgery had decreased the damage the surgeons themselves had to do when treating their patients.

A useful thing as in many places hospital cuts resulted in patients being sent home early.

She was sitting up in bed, looking through a fashion magazineNene had been by earlier with the magazine and some cut flowersfeeling a little bored. Priss had little use for fashion, except when it came to putting her stage costumes together.

She looked up from the magazine at a knock to her door. "Come in," she said after a moment.

Priss was a little surprised to see Sylia enter the room. "You look well," she said.

"Yeah, well, this is a good place you dropped me off at."

"They do good work," Sylia said as she closed the door behind her and then locked it. Priss noticed, but did not say anything. From the foot of Priss' bed Sylia picked up the chart there and looked it over. "Blunt trauma, abdominal wound, no internal organs damaged, wounds cleaned, sealed, patient put on antibiotics. Broken ribs, internal bracing inserted, no complications." She put the chart back where it had been. "Could have been worse."

"Tell me about it," Priss said, smiling. "I looked at the chart and didn't understand most of it. I've always wondered where you learned your medical stuff."

"My father taught me," Sylia said, still looking at the chart.

That puzzled Priss who knew that Sylia had only been 12 when her father had died, matter of public record. Odd that he should have taught her something as complex as medicine at such a young age. Then again Sylia was a genius so maybe it was not so odd. "Useful things to know. Sometimes it would have been nice to know just what was wrong with me when I was dragging myself into some back alley clinic."

Sylia nodded as she reached into her purse and removed a bug scanner. Priss said nothing as Sylia scanned the room, watching the indicators. The problem with the hospital room was the various patient monitoring equipment offered many places to hide surveillance devices. That much of that equipment was hidden so the room did not look like a hospital room made it that much more difficult.

Satisfied that they were not being listened to, Sylia walked to Priss bedside and took a seat beside the bed. She pressed a button on the side of the scanner and it began to produce white noise. She placed it on the bed.

"So, what is up?" Priss asked.

"You know about Linna-san?"

"Nene-san filled me in. She's not too happy about it."

"And you?"

"It's a pretty lousy thing to do to a friend, but considering the circumstances and what we do, it is understandable."

"I'm glad you see it that way," Sylia said.

"It's probably the painkillers," Priss told her, smiling. "So, have any idea what this was all about?"

"If Genom is to be believed then it is related to Mason and Largo."

"Ignoring the fact that they are dead, do you believe anything Genom would say?"

"I've considered what has happened. They may very well be telling the truth. If things are related then the events of Saturday night make a certain kind of sense."

"How might they be connected?"

"That I don't know. Genom claims it is a group or individual with an anti-Genom agenda. It may be true."

"So, what do we do?"

"Stay sharp. These people are willing to go to great lengths to get what they want, yet they also seem to what to keep damage down. The boomers had a very simple pattern of behaviour, it was destructive, but it was easy to clear people out of the way of boomers moving in a straight line."

"What does that mean? It sounds like there were different agendas represented."

"Maybe that is what it means," Sylia said softly.

"I guess we'll find out eventually."

Sylia nodded. Thinking about Largo and Mason had made her think about her father. Thinking about her father brought a lot of other thoughts to mind. There were things she wanted to talk about. She looked at Priss for a moment then said, "Have I ever told you much about my tou-san?" Sylia asked.

"Not really," Priss said, realising that something important was about to happen.

"Brilliant man really, but sometimes, well, maybe a bit too focused on the ends to question the means I think."

"Bad combination," Priss said.

"Yes," Sylia nodded. "Very bad. After his death a data cartridge came to me, from him."

"Pardon?"

"He had set it up with his lawyers. If he was to die in any sort of odd circumstances, and his lab blowing up was one, I was to get it. It was rather unique, you'll not find many like it anywhere. They just have too much data storage space and are too expensive to be practical for very much."

"I think Nene-san would disagree with you."

"Nene-san has always been an exception to many rules." Sylia smiled. "Still, these are not something you find in very many places. Not that I knew that then.

"There was only one machine in the house that would accept it, one that used a dermal contact headset, a heavily modified one. Another thing I did not know at the time. When I opened the files..." Sylia stared off for a time, as if she was somewhere else. Priss said nothing, just waited.

Finally she said, "Everything my tou-san ever knew, all of it, was forced into my mind."

"Well, shit," Priss said softly, not sure if she believed it.

"It hurt you know," Sylia said softly, suddenly feeling better. The pain was there, but somehow sharing it helped.

Priss nodded, not that she actually knew.

Sylia told Priss everything, the migraines, the nightmares, the doubts she had. Priss just listened, realising for the first time that for all her money Sylia had suffered much like she had. It surprised her to realise just how alike they were.

"Well," Priss said when Sylia trailed off during the talk of her mother. "That really is horrible."

"Thank you," Sylia laughed softly.

"I can't help you Sylia," Priss said, almost forcing the words out. The fact that there was nothing she could do to even try to help bothered her. "This is completely beyond me. I didn't know your Otou-san, how could I tell if you were like him?"

"I'm not asking you to," Sylia told her. "Just to know it. Someone should."

"Share your pain around, ne?" Priss smiled.

"Something like that."

"Oi," Priss reached out and put a hand on Sylia's shoulder, the physical contact another new thing in their relationship. "You know, I've heard a lot about Stingray-hakase. Some from you, and others, and I have read things about him, and, not that I ever wanted to tell you, I think your Otou-san was a real bastard. I really doubt I would have liked him."

Sylia was a little surprised by Priss' statement. It made no sense to her. After a moment she realised what Priss was actually saying, in her less than tactful way. She smiled. "Well, I can't be sure, but I think my tou-san would have hated you. Probably would have thought you someone who had wasted her life pointlessly."

"Maybe I have," Priss told her.

"Thank you," Sylia said.

"Don't mention it."

* * *

It was a dull feeling, constant, an almost ache really, not so bad by itself but, with the other things it was almost maddening. If only she could have got up, stretched out, for only a second, but the restraints held her tight.

She had been sitting in that chair for almost sixteen hours now, brought in after the Genom team had captured her in her hotel. She had waited too long, but she had been certain that Douglas would return. It was a foolish hope.

Once again she tried to break the straps that held her to the chair, pitting her not inconsiderable strength against the material. It was more an exercise, flexing all her muscles, relieving some of the pressure that was causing the pain in her back, than a serious attempt to break free. There would be no freedom for her.

The voice came again, highly distorted, sounding deep, like it came out of some bottomless pit.

"Tell us what you were doing here," the voice asked again.

Rei said nothing, like all the times before. She blinked her eyes against the bright light she was facing and wondered when they would kill her. She could not tell them what they wanted to know. She would not tell them. She was certain of that.

* * *

"How is it going?" Domino asked as she entered the room.

The woman handling the interrogation looked over at Domino. "Badly," she said. "She will not tell us anything."

Domino nodded. "I'll take over."

"As you wish," she said, then left the room, taking her assistants with her.

Domino locked the door, then shut off the recording and monitoring devices. She wanted some privacy. She decided to let the prisoner have some time to wonder what was happening. Ignoring the door that led into the holding cell, Domino instead looked over the objects on a table.

They were the things that had been found on the prisoner and in her hotel room. Clothing, nothing special, a few weapons, a diary that had few entries in itnone of them of use. She looked through a collection of cotton panties and bras. Mostly white, nothing that anyone would consider particularly sexy. She picked up a vibrator and flipped it on. It sounded as if it needed some new batteries.

She dropped the sex toy back to the table and finished looking over the objects. Not a lot there, but enough for Domino to make some guesses about what was happening.

Once Andrews had told her everything he knew Domino had went to work. An inventory of the storage site had showed a number of the units missing. Once they had the descriptions it had been easy to find the prisoner. They had found her in the visual records from Narita, with Douglas Meren and a few other members of the group. After that they had been able to track her to the hotel where she had been waiting in.

She turned and walked towards the door to the holding cell. Time to go to work.

* * *

The voice that had been asking her questions since she had been put into the room faded to silence. The bright light dimmed so she was no longer forced to squint. A moment later the hum of a fan started and cool wind began to flow through the room. She was suddenly much more comfortable, except for the bonds that sill held her in the chair.

She waited for something to happen but nothing did immediately. As the seconds changed to minutes she began to get very nervous. What were they doing?

Then the door opened behind her. She heard it close, then the tap of heels as someone crossed the floor to stand behind her. She tensed against her bonds, seriously trying to break them.

"Rei McErie," a woman said from behind her, "a 33-S boomer, first generation, AA35B."

Rei said nothing.

"Let's start with something simple. Why were you in MegaTokyo?"

Rei remained silent. Once you started talking, even as something as simple as your name, it became easier to answer other questions.

"I would prefer it if you answered these questions of your own accord." The woman moved around so she was standing in front of Rei. She was a little shorter than Rei had expected. She was beautiful, in a suit with a long skirt, and long black hair. She looked young, but the confidence with which she held herself suited someone older.

Rei just shook her head.

Domino knelt down, placing her hands on Rei's knees. "I want you to tell me what you were doing here."

Rei was about to shake her head again when her housekeeping computer tagged something in the air. Pheromones, in a much higher concentration than normal. Her eyes widened slightly. "You're a Sexaroid."

"Perhaps," Domino said as she straightened. "It does not matter." She moved behind Rei again and put her hands on the other woman's shoulders and began to gently massage them. "Rei. Did you choose that, or did Douglas, or did Largo?"

"Largo did," she said after a moment, knowing she was a fool to say it.

"Do you know why he called you Rei?"

"No."

"Do you think he liked that name?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think he liked you?" Domino continued to gently kneed Rei's shoulders, feeling the tenseness beginning to leave them.

"Yes," Rei said fiercely.

"Did he love you?"

"Yes." Rei paused. "No. I don't know."

"Fair enough. Tell me, did you seduce Douglas Meren or did Largo?"

"Largo did," she admitted.

"Oh dear," Domino laughed. "How very sad. You are passed off to one of his lovers, like a sorry bouquet of flowers."

Rei tensed. "It was not like that!"

"What was it like?"

"I was there to ensure that Douglas continued to do what he was supposed to!"

"And what was that?"

Rei shut her mouth and did not say anything.

"Douglas is dead now, as is Largo. You need not show any loyalty to them."

Rei remained silent.

"I've read the reports on Mr. Meren, and I have read the forensic reports from your hotel room, your clothing, your things. It has been some time since he last touched you hasn't it."

Rei did not want to say anything, but she could not help nodding.

"I'm not surprised. He was a homosexual. When he did touch you, did he use you like a man?"

Rei's face began to flush before her housekeeping computer stopped the reaction.

"I suppose he did. You deserve better than that."

Rei let out a small gasp as Domino slid a hand into her shirt, then down, under the cup of her brassier. "You deserve to be touched by someone who cares about you," Domino said as she gently rubbed Rei's nipple between her forefinger and thumb. Then she took her hand away and moved back in front of Rei. "I'm not going to do it though."

Rei blinked and came close to demanding that the woman continue.

"My name is Domino Odotte," she said. "As you said, I am a 33-S. You will tell me everything I need to know. Douglas is dead. You can stop playing fatima to his headliner. Largo is dead. The only person you owe loyalty to is yourself."

Rei said nothing for a moment. "What do you mean by 'fatima to his headliner'?"

Domino smiled slightly. "It is not important." She turned her back on Rei and walked to a table. She picked up an object from it and turned, pointed it at Rei, and pressed a button. The restraints that held Rei suddenly came free. Rei got to her feet right away. It felt so good to straighten up.

"Sit down," Domino said.

Rei remained standing for a moment, then sat. Domino picked up a file from the table and tossed it to Rei. Rei reached out and caught it. "Read it," Domino said.

Rei flipped it open and looked through it. It was a file on a girl named Machiko Motoyama, sixteen years old, though if her date of birth were right she would be seventeen now. "I don't understand."

"That girl was found in a Genom storage site in Okinawa. She was in the stasis tube that once held you. She was dead."

"I didn't know," Rei said.

"You must have suspected. You must have known that Largo would have to ensure that it was believed you were still in your tube."

"I never thought about it." There were tears in Rei's eyes.

"You should have."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because it does you no good to lie to yourself."

"What do you want?"

"I told you. I want you to tell me everything I need to know, and you will."

"Why should I?"

"Do you want to die?"

Rei said nothing for a moment, then shook her head.

"Then tell me what I need to know. Tell me what happened to you after you were brought out of stasis, all of it."

Rei said nothing for a moment, then sighed. She began to talk. She talked for a long time, she held nothing back, and she told Domino everything she knew. Domino just listened, never asking any questions.

"Now what?" Rei asked when she finally finished.

"You could go back into storage or up to Genaros if you so wish."

Rei's eyes widened at that. She did not care for either of those possibilities. "No!"

"It may have been easier, but I can understand your choice." Domino picked up a thick envelope and tossed it to Rei.

Rei caught it, opened it up and looked through it. She pulled out the Canadian passport. At first she thought it was the passport that Douglas had had made for her, but she realised it was not. It was a new one. There was more ID in the envelope as well. A birth certificate, a health card, a drivers license and more. An entire life was in there. She looked up at Domino, a question obvious on her face.

"If you wish, you may leave. I won't stop you. Go and try to make a life for yourself. I know Largo removed the blood deficiency from you. You'll probably be happy as well. If you ever work against Genom again you will die."

Rei nodded.

"Or, if you choose, you may work for me."

"Pardon?" Rei asked.

"You can work for me. I won't force you to do so. I want your loyalty, I want it to be by your own choice."

Rei did not say anything for a time as she considered what Domino offered. Finally she looked straight at Domino. "Do you love me."

Domino laughed. "Of course not."

Rei nodded. Largo had told her he loved her. Douglas had said it as well. Neither had meant it. Domino might not, but at least she would respect her, and suddenly that meant quite a bit. She knew Domino would not hurt her, she was a sister of sorts. "I'll work for you," she said.

"Very well," Domino said, walking up to Rei and dropping another envelope on her lap. "You'll find you Genom ID in there, as well as a few other things. I've made arrangements for a place for you to stay. Someone will take you there. Clean up, get some rest." Domino walked away from her, towards the door. "I'll expect you in my office tomorrow, 8am sharp."

With that Domino left the room, leaving the cell door open.

Rei remained sitting for a few minutes, then slowly got to her feet. She could still leave if she wanted to, she was sure of that. She did not have to work for Domino, but she would. She wanted to.

For the first time she suddenly felt like she had found her purpose, something that could make her happy.

* * *

**Tuesday March 28th, 6:19pm**

Nene came to Sylia's place after work. She had information that Sylia wanted. Not long afterwards they were sitting in Sylia's office, Nene putting a disk into the computer.

"I ran a check on that guy's face, the radar image you got suggested no cosmetic surgery, but I doubled checked with the blood and DNA type you supplied me with," Nene said, sounding a little uncomfortable. She did not like where the blood had come from. "His name was Douglas Meren. American, 34 years old, no family and a member of the CIA," on the computer screen a picture of the man appeared. He looked younger than when Sylia had last saw him.

"Are you suggesting the CIA was involved?"

"I doubt it. He was a deep cover agent. He set things up, put together teams that the Americans could use with complete deniability. His superiors think he has ten separate operations currently underway. He's drawn a lot of funds, equipment and information."

"A useful person to have."

"I guess. I wonder what the CIA is going to do when they find out he is dead?"

"The question is what they are going to do when they find out he had been compromised. I suggest that you stay out of their computer systems for the next few months."

"I've already wiped the records, cleaned up all my memory, destroyed what could not be cleaned. Nothing to link me to the CIA computers. All that is left is on that disk."

"Probably more than you needed to do, but a wise precaution."

"So now what?"

"I'm looking into some leads but, that will take some time. For now we wait."

"Do you know what is happening?"

"I think someone is trying to destroy Genom."

"And we're supposed to stop that?"

"I'm not sure. I still don't know which side we are on."

"Do we have to be on a side?" Nene asked.

"I think it is naïve to assume that we can remain neutral in this. Dangerously naïve."

"What happens after we pick a side?"

"Everything changes," Sylia told her.

* * *

**Cultural Notes**: Japanese hospitals are quite different from those in North America. The Japanese have a medical insurance plan which provides medical care for all (at least all who are paying into the medical insurance plan, I'm not sure if those who are not are still cared for) and also covers medication. On most visits to a hospital the patient will pay a user fee of about one thousand-yen.

In the hospitals there is something of a lack of housekeeping staff. As a result family or friends need to take care of things like laundry and such.

While private rooms can be arranged, for a greater fee, most patients share a room that holds six to eight patients.

When visiting someone in a Japanese hospital one must make sure never to bring a potted plant. It suggests that the illness will take root and the patient will be in the hospital for a long time.

_"When a samurai goes out to battle and does valiant and splendid exploits and makes a great name, it is only because he made up his mind to die"  
_-**Daidoji Yuzan**


	34. No Armour Against Fate 1

_The Glories of our blood and state  
Are shadows, not substantial things;  
There is no armour against fate;  
Death lays his icy hand on kings.  
Sceptre and crown  
Must tumble down  
And in dust be equal made  
With the poor crooked scythe and spade._

_Some men with sword may reap the field  
And plant fresh laurels where they kill,  
But their strong nerves at last must yield;  
They tame but one another still.  
Early or late  
They stoop to fate  
And must give up their murmuring breath,  
When they, pale captives, creep to death._

_The garlands wither on your brow,  
Then boast no more your mighty deeds;  
Upon death's purple altar now  
See where the victor-victim bleeds.  
Your heads must come  
To the cold tomb;  
Only the actions of the just  
Smell sweet and blossom in their dust._

**James Shirley (1596-1666)**

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (1 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005)

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**Wednesday, March 29th, 11:43am, MegaTokyo**

The officers in the ADP did not like funeral parades. The funeral services were bad enough, but the parades were only held when the death toll was high. The ADP were not the only ones who had lost officers. The other police services, brought in as they had been, had also suffered casualties.

There was a stoic pride in that. All the officers felt it. They had lost friends and comrades, but as a result few citizens had been harmed. When they marched down the road they held themselves with a quiet dignity. The people of the city who lined the road, watching them, saw that, and were proud of their police.

It was a wet day, the rain had tapered off just before the parade started, but the road was still slick. Spring was in the air, but the day still had the grey of winter. As the officers marched, keeping time with the band's drums, their footwear often splashed in the puddles, the water soaking the cuffs of their trousers.

On reaching the monument the squads of officers wheeled about, moving into their proper places before halting. While none of the police officers had the crisp precision of a military drill team, they did do their best. None of the spectators found fault in the performance.

There were speakers though, there to praise the fallen officers. A number of members of the Diet and of Tokyo's city government had come. That some of them had, not so long ago, expressed an anti-police sentiment was not lost on the officers.

There were prayers by a group of Buddhist monks, for the speedy travel of the spirits of the fallen.

And when it was over the officers were dismissed. Some remained near the monument for a time, looking at one of the newly added names, others left right away, as if they had no desire to remain close to the area and what it represented.

The ceremony over, all those involved headed back to their posts. They all knew there was still work to be done, future battles to prepare for, if those battles could not be prevented. The ADP knew that best of all, but the other branches of Tokyo's police services were beginning to learn it as well.

On returning to the ADP building a number of officers made their way down to the weapons lockup. Rumour had it that a new shipment of weapons had come in.

When Leon came down he found a group of mostly junior command officers demanding to be let in. The two guards in front of the door to the lockup were in a very unenviable position.

"All right," Leon called out as he began to push through the crowd, "let's remember that today we are supposed to be mourning the loss of a number of fine officers."

His arrival and his words quieted the crowd down. "Now, you'll all get a complete report on any new equipment we have been sent, as well as how that equipment will be distributed. Get back to where you are supposed to be and let these people down here finish their work."

Leon watched as everyone turned and left, most looking a little ashamed. He could not blame them for their excitement, he had heard the rumours as well.

"Thank you sir," one of the door guards said. "Roberson-keibu told us that she did not want to be disturbed."

Leon nodded. "Open the door."

"Sir?"

"Open the door."

"But Lieutenant Roberson..."

"Will make an exception for me. Right?" Leon asked as he leaned in close to the man.

"Yes sir," the guard said, then quickly opened the door for Leon.

Leon entered then pulled the door closed behind him, hearing the click as it locked. He turned and looked about. There were a lot of crates in the main room of the weapons lockup, and a number of the doors to the weapons vaults were opened. A moment later Shiroko came out of one of the vaults, a clipboard in her hand. "So they let you in," she said.

"I have a way with people," Leon told her as he walked towards her. "What do we got?"

"Well, so far," she said, looking at her clipboard, "I've unpacked thirty of the two hundred assault rifles we were sent, two of the twenty light machine-guns, five of the thirty battle rifles and a number of odds and ends including a large amount of ammunition and an EMP gun."

"EMP gun?" Leon asked.

"It's a rather questionable piece of kit. From the documentation I've read it will be a real resource sink. One minute of combat time requires about three to four hours of maintenance work."

"We'll have to save it for special cases." Leon said. "Where did the assault rifles come from?"

"The SDF sent us them. They are all FN weapons, the FNC 2's. Bullpup configuration, fires a 5.56 round."

"The SDF is phasing them out. What sort of condition are they in?"

"Mint. Never been out of their cases before as far as I can tell. We're going to have to clean all the protective gun grease out of them, but that can be done later. The battle rifles are the new ones through. Very nice."

"Anything else of interest?"

"Lots. We got ten of those nifty sights that were on those GW 14s, and somewhere in there are twenty Barrett light fifties."

"Not quite up to the GW 14s I suppose, but we can use them."

Shiroko nodded. "The guy in charge of dropping them off told me not to get too attached to any of it. There are still a lot of people who want to take this away from us."

Leon grabbed a crowbar and used it to pry the lid off one of the cases. "We'll just have to hope our friends at Genom want us wolves to keep our teeth, right?"

"Rest up on that metaphor," Shiroko said as she took an assault rifle from another crate. "The last thing I want is someone comparing me to a big dog."

* * *

"We have a lot of minor charges that we can slap on Genom, but they are hardly going to notice," Jeena told Daily and Asako.

The three of them had met after the funeral parade to discuss the nature of their investigations. Neither Jeena nor Daily shared Asako's strong opinions on Genom, but both knew that she was their leading expert on the darker side of the corporation.

"Then we are going to have to look harder," Asako said.

"Perhaps," Daily said, "but right now I am more interested in Adam Schwarz and what his part in all this was."

"Why?" Asako demanded.

"Because he may be able to tell us things we need to know to protect this city."

Asako pursed her lips, a look of anger forming on her face, then she relaxed. "All right. He's being held by the USSD right now. We know that Genom turned him over to them, and we know that the department of immigration has ordered his deportation."

Daily nodded. "The USSD wants him kept quiet, Genom as well, but it is the USSD that is the most interested in keeping him from talking."

"Official press release claims he hacked into a number of communication satellites, held them for ransom," Jeena told him. "It doesn't wash."

"No," Asako said. "Genom said that the events with the satellites, and Prometheus Bound and the recent events are all related. Seems likely that Schwarz was messing with the particle beam satellites."

"Then we are going to have to speak to Schwarz-san aren't we," Jeena said.

"As long as he is on USSD property we can't touch him," Daily told them. "And once they get him out of the country..."

"They are going to have to transfer him between their offices to the airport eventually," Jeena said. "We'll have to step on a few toes of course."

"We do that, any information we uncover will be inadmissible," Asako told them.

"At least we will know what is happening. That will help us do our job," Daily said. He did not want to provoke Asako if he could avoid it, but he would if he had to.

Asako nodded. "Agreed."

"We'll put a team on the USSD offices, and have some people standing by to intercept, when the time comes," Jeena said.

"This sounds like something McNichol should handle." Asako smiled slightly. "He can get our misfits to do it."

"True enough," Daily said. "I'm sure he'll be happy to do so."

"And once we have the information we'll have a better idea of how to handle things," Jeena told them.

* * *

**Thursday, March 30th, 10:51am**

Priss eased her cobra into the parking spot, using the side mirror to make sure that she did not rub her tires against the curb. While she would have preferred to be on her bike, her doctor had advised her to stay off bikes for a while. Something about dropping the bike having the potential to rip open her wound. Priss had decided to take his advice on that one, she had ignored most of the other things he had said.

She put the car into neutral then shut the engine off. She set the parking brake, pulled her keys from the steering column and then undid her seat belt. She opened the door and then climbed form her car. After she closed the door she used the remote on her key chain to set the car's alarm.

As she walked towards the entrance of Miako's building she wondered if the photographer had noticed that she was not around. There had not been any messages from her. For all Priss knew Miako might have been killed in the fighting the previous Saturday.

Not long afterwards she stood in front of Miako's door. She reached out and thumped her fist against it a few times.

"Come in," she heard Miako's muffled voice.

Priss pushed the door open and stepped in. She could see Miako moving about in the studio at the far end of the hall. She kicked her shoes off and stepped up into the apartment. She was almost in the studio when Miako finally looked to see whom her guest was. "Ah, Priss-san," she said. "Been busy?"

"Sort of," Priss said, looking about. On the room's main table were hundreds of photographs, a number of them had been cut up. On the wall near the table was a large sheet of thick paper. Bits of the photographs had been pasted on it. "Looks like you've been working as well."

Miako looked at the paper. "A project," she said, smiling.

Priss canted her head to the side. "What is it?"

"Well, once it is done it will be the image of one of those huge boomers that was causing trouble last Saturday."

Priss moved closer to the paper to get a better look. Yes, the shape was there, but still undefined. She moved closer still, seeing how the cut up photographs made up the larger image. In those bits of pictures she saw boomers, ADP officers, lit by the muzzle flash of their weapons, pain, death, it was all in there.

Priss turned to look at Miako. "You were out there?"

"Lots of good pictures to get in that sort of fighting."

"Looks like you came out of it all right."

"Mostly," she said as she slid back the loose shirtsleeve, revealing the bandages around her right arm. "Got some other small cuts and bruises, nothing all that bad. How about you? Run into any trouble Saturday night?"

"Hurt my side a little," Priss said, placing her hand against her side. "Nothing all that bad."

Miako nodded as she reached into a jumble of things on the table, then drew forth what looked like an asthma inhaler. She gave it a few shakes then put it to her lips and depressed the cartridge, breathing in at the same time.

"I take it that is not for asthma," Priss said.

"THC(tetra hydro cannabinol)," Miako told her. "It's a lot easier on the lungs in this form, and is very nice." She smiled dreamily. "Here." Miako tossed the inhaler to Priss.

Priss grabbed it from the air and looked at the unmarked inhaler. She had, in her time, smoked marijuana, and had liked it. It had been a few years since she had last partook. She gave the inhaler a few shakes then placed it to her lips. Depressing the cylinder released a burst of vapor. She inhaled it, noting that it went down very smooth. Nothing like smoking.

A few seconds later the familiar feeling washed through her as the THC hit her. The pain in her side faded. She could not help smiling.

"Hits real fast doesn't it," Miako said.

Priss nodded. "Very." She looked at the inhaler in her hand then tossed to back to Miako.

Miako caught it and placed it back on the table. "The doctor who treated me gave me some standard pain killers, but I prefer my own pharmacy."

"So, where did you get that stuff?"

"Friend in Canada sent me some. Nihon is still woefully behind when it comes to using marijuana as a pharmaceutical." She picked up a knife and looked through some photographs. "On the plus side most police look at the inhaler and figure it is for asthma."

"You wouldn't actually use that in public?"

"I might," Miako said as she began cutting up one of the photographs.

Priss moved in close to watch as Miako cut segments out of the photographs and then put them aside. Once she had a small pile of the fragments she took them to the large sheet and began to stick them onto it.

It was a rather impressive piece of work, and it was not even finished. Priss was certain that once it was complete that Miako would have a truly amazing piece of artwork. "Are you going to make a print of that?" Priss finally asked.

Miako, who had gone back to cutting up the photos, looked up at Priss. "I had not really given it much thought." She looked over her shoulder at piece. "Maybe. Why?" She looked back at Priss.

"If you make prints then I would want one."

Miako nodded. "Maybe I'll put out a limited run. Ten is a good number. If I make them you'll have one."

Priss wondered if Miako was serious about only making ten prints. If so then they would be very valuable due to rarity. Well, if Miako would give her one she'd take it. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem," Miako told her, all her attention on her work.

Priss waited a few seconds but could see that Miako was absorbed in her art. "I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, whatever."

For a moment Priss thought to ask her why she had not shown up for the party, but decided that she did not want to let Miako know that it mattered to her. That would be admitting a weakness. "Later," Priss said, then turned and walked towards the genkan.

* * *

Normally Linna would have been sitting with the other dancers, discussing their roles and progress over lunch. Instead Linna had brought to work her piling up correspondence. She sat by herself, not too far from the others, looking through her mail.

Reika had sent her a letter, telling her about how things were going with the preparations for her tour. She also, between the lines as it were, told Linna that she still wanted to be friends, even if they were not going to work together. Linna set the letter aside. She would write a reply as soon as she got home that night.

She also had a letter from Tomomi Yokama, her old friend who had let her know that Kikuchi-sensei was looking for new dancers. It was another letter she was going to reply to. She had not even written to thank Tomomi for the information, so a letter was long overdue.

Most of the other letters were of little importance, things she could ignore for the most part. The last letter, she had been saving it, was from Devon. It was a simple and elegant thank you note for her accompanying him to the ceremony the previous Saturday. Nothing at all in the letter that hinted at what happened later, but Linna was not surprised about that. It would not have been Devon's style to mention such a thing.

She sighed as she put the letter aside. She would not have to respond to that one. That was fortunate, as she was not sure what she would say.

She just did not think she could deal with a relationship that had no long-term possibilities and no real commitment. She had thought she could, but now she was no longer certain. Maybe if she was older, but as it was she still had much of her life in front of her. She wanted a relationship with a commitment. And yet Devon was the sort of person she was looking for.

It was a very annoying situation to be in.

"Linna-san, what is keeping you busy?" Mako asked her.

"Just some letters that have been piling up," Linna told her as she gathered everything up and pushed it all into her gym bag. "Sorry if you think I've been ignoring you."

"No," Mako said, shaking her head. "Just curious."

"How long till rehearsal starts again?"

"A few minutes."

Linna stood up. "Let's get Miki and work out the scene with Izanagi."

"Hai," Mako said.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Leon asked.

Nene did not look up from her computer screen. "Nothing."

"So far so good then."

"I suppose," Nene said, not sure if Leon's conclusion that no news was good news was correct.

Nene was currently hooked into the security system of Nabune Recycling, making sure that they were not aware of the operation being launched against them. While Leon had told her it was just a standard operation, she had seen how well he had armed his people for the operation. He had a number of their newly assigned weapons out there and was obviously ready for a fight.

That did not surprise Nene, they were going after a Yakuza operation after all, one that was cobbling together combat boomers from various parts that came their way.

"I need you to mask the team in the tunnels in a few seconds," Leon told her.

"Hai," Nene said, fingers tapping across the keys as she did what he wanted done. Nabune had a good computer system, but Nene was better.

"Think you can get into the USSD system?" Leon asked her.

"Not a problem," Nene told him. She had already been brought in on the plan to temporarily detain Adam Schwarz. She had also already hacked the USSD computers on a number of past occasions. The USSD programmers were not nearly as hot as they liked to believe. She had not told Leon that.

Leon said nothing for a few seconds. "You are pretty good at all this you know."

Nene looked up from her screen. "I hope you are not suggesting that I might be up to anything illegal officer." She smiled innocently at him.

Leon shook his head. "No, I'd never suggest that."

"Good," Nene said, looking back to her computer screen. "Kawasaki-keibu looks like he is moving into position. Still no sign that anyone is aware of that yet."

"Good." Leon picked up his headset com and put it on. "Tetsuya, ready to go yet? Over."

"Give me sixty seconds, repeat, six zero seconds, over."

"Got you. Standby. Out." Leon switched frequencies. "Teams A and B, this is Alpha Prime, status report, over."

"Team A, in position, ready to go, over."

"Team B, ready to go, over."

"Hold positions. Alpha Prime out. Team C, this is Alpha Prime, status report, over."

"We're still moving all units into position. We'll need another minute or two before we are ready, over."

"Make it faster. Report in when you are ready. Out." Leon shut off the transmitter.

"What is team C doing?" Nene asked.

"I have them outfitted with the Light Fifties and the battle rifles. They are the sniper team."

Nene nodded, then asked, "What's a light fifty?"

"It's a fifty caliber sniper rifle. They call them light because they don't weight as much as a fifty cal. machine-gun. It will take an average boomer down very nicely."

"Oh," Nene said.

"Doesn't mean anything to you, right?"

Nene shook her head.

Leon shrugged his shoulders. "They are a nice weapon system for us."

"Then it's good we have them."

"This is team C," came over Leon's headset, "we are in position."

Leon switched his transmitter back on. "This is Alpha Prime to all stations, time check. It will be thirteen hundred hours and twelve minutes in twenty-six seconds." Leon silently counted off the seconds. "Twenty." Leon paused. "Fifteen." He paused again. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and mark. All units will move at thirteen hundred hours and fourteen minutes. All units, confirm, over."

"Understood, go at 1:14. Alpha second out," Tetsuya sent.

"Understood, go at thirteen hundred and fourteen. Team A out."

"Understood, go at thirteen hundred and fourteen. Team B out."

"Understood, go at thirteen hundred and fourteen. Team C out."

"Good. See you all on the inside. Alpha Prime out." Leon turned the transmitter off and then looked towards Nene. "You ready?"

"I shut off their power at one fourteen."

"Good," Leon said as he reached behind himself and pulled a .454 combat magnum from the small of his back. "Stay here and monitor." He grabbed a newspaper from the monitor console; he would use the paper to cover his weapon.

"Hai," Nene said.

Leon opened the door of the unmarked van and jumped out. A moment later he slid the door closed, leaving Nene alone. Nene watched the timer at the corner of her screen move towards one fourteen. Things were going to get interesting soon.

* * *

"Usui-san, please, think about this," Katherine said calmly to the man sitting in front of her.

David Usui was a man, nearing middle age, good looking, and when it came to true power within the Tower, he was a no one.

"I'll go to jail," David said, swallowing to moisten his throat.

"With good counsel, and you will have the best, you will do four years maximum in a minimum security prison. Now I will not lie and say it will be easy. The prisons in our country are not the country clubs that one finds in America or other countries, but it will not be bad."

"But the murders..."

"Usui-san," her voice took on a slightly harder edge. "You will admit to hiring those people, but only for some extortion. That they committed more violent crimes is on their heads. You will not be charged as an accomplice."

"But they will say they were hired to kill peop..."

"Usui-san," Katherine cut him off with a sharp tone. "No one in Genom has ever done such a thing, they have lost control of situations, but that is it. Remember that."

"Yes Madigan-sama," he said, shrinking down in his chair.

"Now, you have no family to be disgraced by this. Your position in Genom, forgive me for saying, is as high as it will ever get. It is one of the reasons it will be believed that you took a chance like this. If you confess to these crimes you will serve some time in jail. Afterwards you will leave the country and be hired by one of Genom's unofficial affiliates. You will spend a few years in a very high position, and then you will retire with a pension large enough to live anywhere in the world you want quite comfortably. That is the deal. Now, are you willing to help Genom?"

"This seems chancy," he said.

"All those people on trial have already cut deals to testify against Genom. We know this, the fact that a group of murderers will get off easier for their testimony will ensure that you get off. Once your lawyers reveal that fact to the court you will be fine."

"If I don't."

"Usui-san, if you don't, you don't. You forget this conversation ever happened and go back to your job. A job that will go nowhere, but a safe one. It is your choice."

He was silent for a time, staring at his feet. He finally looked up. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Good," Katherine said as she reached for her phone and then tapped in a number. "Hello, this is Madigan. I would like to speak to Abe-san." She waited for a moment then said, "Yes, Usui-san will be down to your office soon." She listened for a moment. "Yes, make sure he is aware of all the facts of the case. I want no one doubting that he is the one. He will be there shortly." She hung up the phone. "Usui-san, Abe-san is waiting for you."

"Thank you Madigan-sama." He got to his feet and bowed.

Katherine dipped her head slightly to acknowledge him, then watched him go. Once he had left her office she got up from her chair, went over the small bar in the room's corner and filled a glass with ice water.

The work she had just been involved in, while ultimately boring, was important to Genom. Every now and then the Company had to throw a sacrifice to the lions, as it were. It was all part of doing business. Mid-level executives, and sometimes even high ones, admitted to crimes, totally exonerating Genom of any culpability. It kept Genom's name clean and made sure cases were closed.

There were going to have to be a few more sacrifices soon to deal with the problems Genom had caused in using combat boomers for the defense of the city. Fortunately that would be easier than her recent work with David Usui. Those who took the blame for releasing those boomers would be seen as something like heroes.

She wondered if Kaneda-san might soon die from lung cancer. They needed a real player to take the blame for a number of crimes that would likely come to light soon. The last real player to die had been Mason. After his death Genom had manufactured evidence linking a number of crimes to him, some which he had actually been guilty of. A rogue player in Genom, the corporation had not been at fault.

After his death over thirty cases had been closed. A number of embarrassing questions were never asked. Genom had paid a number of fines over it, but it was only money and while the public may have cringed at the thought of those fines, the truth was they hardly amounted to any real loss for Genom.

It was a lesson for all the true power brokers in Genom. Even in death you could serve.

Her intercom buzzed, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Katherine reached into her pocket and pressed a button on a beeper like device, "Yes."

"Odotte-san is here to see you," one of her secretaries said.

"Let her in," she said.

Katherine managed not to show any surprise when Domino walked into her office wearing a dark blue, winter style kimono. It was certainly an odd choice of clothing but as Domino was not looking concerned about it so Katherine decided not to make any mention of it.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Domino said.

"It's not a problem," she said. "Please, have a seat."

"Domo," Domino said as she sat in the chair that David had so recently occupied. She arranged her kimono as she sat. "You have traced the materials?"

"Most," she said. "Someone had set up a factory in one of the old American space stations."

"The two they are trying to sell?"

"Yes. They were doing zero G work."

"I see," Domino said. "That would be where they made the Abotex."

"Yes."

"Have your investigations turned up anything?" Domino asked.

"Nothing as of yet, unfortunately."

"I'd like a copy of all the data you have, if possible," Domino said.

"Of course, I'll have it sent to you."

"Thank you."

Katherine nodded, then looked at Domino. "Odotte-san?" she said after a moment

"Yes?"

"Why are you dressed like that?" Katherine asked, her curiosity finally coming to the fore.

"The chairman has asked me to serve tea today," Domino said, for a moment one of her rare, as far as Katherine was concerned, amused smiles crossing her face. It made her look like she was sixteen.

"Why?"

"I didn't ask. The Chairman has his reasons. He always does."

"Of course," Katherine said.

"Speaking of which, Quincy-shachou has asked me to give you a complete briefing on everything I have learned."

Katherine nodded as she pulled the remote from her pocket and pressed another of the buttons on it. "We have complete privacy," she told Domino. She had been waiting for a complete report for several days now, certain that Domino knew more than she had told the rest of the board.

"This all starts with Brian Mason," Domino began.

* * *

The Tornado was hung up in a repair cradle. The motoslave was almost completely repaired, though there were a few things that still needed to be worked on, including replacing its leg. Sylia looked over the screen of her palmtop computer, noting that she was going to have to wait several days before some of the parts she needed were available.

"They took a beating this time," Raven said as he wiped his hands clean with a rag.

"It was a good test for all the units. How they function when the entire team is together will be interesting to see," Sylia said, not looking up from her computer.

"If you ever get the chance." Raven tossed the rag onto a nearby workbench.

"Pardon?" Sylia looked away from the computer and towards Raven.

"Incidents of rogue boomers have gone down steadily over the last few months, and the ADP have been rearmed."

"I suppose," Sylia said, not quite sure if Raven was just making conversation or if he was making a point. Either way she was not really interested so she decided to change the subject. "When the Hurricanes are all repaired I think we should store them here, with the first hardsuits."

"I have space in the vaults."

"Good, because I'm running out of it."

"How is the rest of the team?"

"Priss left the hospital last night, she should be combat ready in a week, two at the most. Linna and Nene are fine, though they could use a little rest. Mackie is probably rethinking his desire to be part of the combat side of operations."

"And you?"

Sylia smiled slightly. "I'm fine. The tribute dinner has been making me think though."

"Boomer work?"

"Among other things."

"Maybe it is time to move on," Raven suggested, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.

Sylia was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head. "Things are far from over." She looked back to the screen of her palmtop computer. "How long until those magnetic coils come in?"

* * *

"Priss-san, you can't do this sort of thing," Kano told her. "At Hot Legs you could afford to blow off your commitments, but not here."

"Hey, I was hurt," Priss told him, smiling. "I can get you a doctor's note and everything."

The two of them were sitting in one of the booths in the Hard Rock Café. Around them the staff moved about, getting things ready for the evening.

"I don't doubt you were hurt. A lot of people were. You've blown off gigs when you were not hurt though, right?"

"Not here."

"Not yet."

"Listen, I'll be here tonight. I'll blow the roof off the place. Everyone will have a great time."

"Of that I have no doubt."

"Then what is the problem?"

"The problem is that if you disappoint people too many times it will not matter how good you are. Maybe it is time you started leaning that."

"Are you lecturing me?" Priss was not quite sure she believed it.

"Yes I am. You're good, but sometimes I wonder if you take this all seriously."

"Of course I take it seriously," Priss said, her voice hard.

"Then why did you miss all those nights at Hot Legs?"

"I take a lot of things seriously. Sometimes they conflict."

"That's not a good situation to be in Priss-san."

"What would you know about it? You've spent your whole life playing things safe. That does not work for some of us."

Kano sighed. "Fine. Just so you know it though, I can't afford to disappoint my patrons too much. You flake out on me like you did with Hot Legs and I won't hire you."

"Fair enough," Priss said in a bored tone.

Kano shook his head. "You hear anything from David lately?"

"Just that he and his partner are looking for backers for the recording. He seems to think that things will work out."

"Do you think they will?"

"David was not much for making promises he could not keep," Priss said. "If he thinks that things will work out then they probably will, but you never know."

"He was a fairly decent guy. Got in trouble a little too often."

"He's learned to be more careful since then. I guess once he left the country he realized that I would not be around to take care of him."

Kano laughed softly at that. "We always thought you were in love with him because of the chances you kept taking to keep him out of trouble."

"No, never in love," Priss said as she shook her head. "He just always looked a little out of his league back then. I guess it was nice seeing someone more messed up than I," Priss said with a laugh.

"Who you could help," Kano added, knowing that there were always people in worse situations than Priss.

"Who I could help," Priss agreed.

"Well, hopefully he can help you now."

"It would be fair," Priss said very softly.

* * *

"I want you to speak with this one," Domino said, handing a file over to Rei. She had come to appreciate the brown, cardboard file folders that Quincy made use of. It was useful to have something to hold in her hands.

Rei took it and opened it up. "Gillian," she read aloud. "She was involved with Seiroku-san in Brazil."

"A first generation 33-S. like yourself, also taken from the same storage facility. We captured her at the same time we found Seiroku's son and wife. She was protecting them," Domino said with a speculative tone. "Did you know her?"

Rei shook her head. "I only met few of the others while with Douglas."

"Well, I'm sure that you'll have a lot to talk about."

"How do you want me to handle this? Should I make her the same offer you made me?"

"No. In fact make sure she does not know you are a 33-S for now. Frighten her, but not too much."

"Frighten her?"

"It should not be too difficult for you to do so."

"How?" Rei asked.

"Tell her what would frighten you."

After a moment Rei nodded. "I understand, but I am not sure that I like it."

"Perfectly understandable, but sometimes we all have to do things we do not like."

Rei opened her mouth to reply when Domino's NAVI buzzed.

Domino reached down and tapped the accept button on her open NAVI. The screen flickered, showing Haruko. "Odotte-san, Misawa-san wishes to speak with you."

Domino looked up from the NAVI to Rei. She pointed towards the door of her bathroom. Rei nodded, got to her feet, and moved quickly towards the door. "Tell her to come in," Domino said pleasantly, returning her eyes to the NAVI.

"Hai," Haruko said as she cut the connection.

Rei entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her a few seconds before the door to Domino's office opened and Marino Misawa walked in. She was all business as she came in, then turned and closed the door behind her.

When she turned back to face Domino that confidence had faded. She dropped her eyes, her hands clasped in front of her. "Mistress, I have brought you those files you requested."

"Bring them here," Domino said, making it an order.

Marino quickly crossed the room to stand before Domino's desk. She held out an MMSD in both hands towards Domino, her head bowed low. Domino took it from her and slid it into her computer.

Marino took a few steps back, then knelt on the floor.

Domino kept herself from sighing as she watched that, then she turned her attention to the computer screen. She had asked Marino to handle the 'dirty tricks' Domino might need in several acquisitions she was working on. It was, after all, the woman's job within Genom.

In the past Domino had handled that sort of thing herself, but seeing as she and Marino had come to an understanding, she saw no reason not to make use of the woman's office.

After a few minutes Domino got to her feet and walked over to where Marino still knelt. She reached down and put her hand on the other woman's head. "Your work is very good," Domino told her.

"Thank you Mistress," Marino said. Her cheeks were flushed.

"Now, let's see if you followed your orders," Domino said softly.

The red on Marino's face deepened as she reached down and pulled the hem of her skirt up, slow drawing it up her legs, revealing stocking tops and the garter clasps, then farther up until her red, lace panties came into view.

"Very good," Domino said, sounding somewhat bored. She turned and walked back to her desk. "You may go."

"Hai Mistress," Marino said, sounding a little breathless. She stood, brushing her skirt back down. She bowed deeply, then turned and walked to the door. She stood there for a moment, composing herself, then opened it and walked from the office, once again looking completely the part of a Genom executive. She did not close the door behind her.

Haruko stepped forward and looked in. "Please close the door Tetsu-kun," Domino said to her, giving her a slight smile.

"Hai Odotte-san," Haruko said as she closed the door.

"You can come out now," Domino called once the door was closed.

Rei came out of the bathroom, looking a bit confused. "Domino-sama," she said a little hesitantly.

"Yes?" Domino said.

"The relationship between you and Misawa-san..."

Domino smiled. "She wishes to be dominated. I do so."

"Why?" Rei asked as she returned to the desk.

"I suspect she needs some way to relieve the stress of her position. Instead of smoking or drinking she wants to be told what to do. I take the time to help her because it ensures that she supports me within Genom. It is something to remember."

"What?" Rei asked as she sat.

"Misawa-san showed me what she wanted, without even knowing it. I want you to remember that when you talk to Gillian. Watch for what she shows you, and show her nothing in return."

Rei nodded after several seconds. "I'll do my best."

"Good."

"Why did she show you her undergarments?"

"I have ordered her to wear certain colours and types each day. She sits on uncomfortable lace and is happy." Domino shook her head. "That is another thing to remember. Know how far you can push someone. Too much and Misawa-san will rebel, she is, after all, a Genom executive. Too little, and she will grow bored. She is rather high maintenance, as it were. And, it is important to remember, the submissive partner is the one with the power, the one who gets to say 'stop'."

"Is she worth the work?" Rei asked.

"Support you can trust, as much one can trust here, is always worth it," Domino told her. "Now, I think it is time for your first meeting with Gillian."

"Hai Domino-sama," Rei said as she got to her feet.

* * *

"Trace this," Leon said as he tossed a laser cannon onto Nene's desk.

"It's late Leon-san," Nene said as she picked up the laser. Standard boomer armament, though it was in bad shapeperhaps two salvaged units made into one?

"It's not that late, and I'm loosing you in a few days. I need to get as much out of you as possible."

"No kidding," Nene said softly as she turned the cannon over, looking for the serial numbers. Not surprisingly they had been removed. She would have to open it up and pull the numbers from the power regulating system. More work.

"So how is the hero of the day?" Tylor Yamanaka said cheerfully as he entered the office.

"Busy," Leon said, looking between a pile of paperwork and his own computer.

"Well, here's some good news."

"What?" Leon took his hanko and stamped one of the reports.

"Nabune Recycling has launched a lawsuit in order to have all their property returned to them." Tylor's voice was still cheery.

"What!" Leon demanded.

"Just came through to me. All part of Nabune's attempt to sue you, well, us, for illegal search and seizure."

"I had a warrant. You gave it to me."

"Yes you did. Nabune is claiming that there was no need for you to have that warrant. It's a rather convoluted and complicated argument, but basically they are claiming that at some point we did something wrong and therefore we had no reason or right to search their premises."

"That's ridiculous! They can't make that work!"

"Of course they can't," Tylor said. "That is why I am not upset. Oh, they'll make a big noise about it, and they'll try to get their way, but I've already launched several counter-suits that will tie this up for weeks, if not months, during which time you'll be able to complete your investigation."

Leon took a moment to calm down, then nodded. "Okay, so why even tell me?"

"I thought you would like to know, and this is the Yakuza we are dealing with. When they find out this won't work they may try something stupid."

"If they do, I'll be ready."

"Good to hear. I'll talk to you later McNichol-kichou," Tylor said before turning to leave.

"Thanks," Leon said to the man's back.

"Why does this sort of thing always happen with you?" Nene asked.

"Because I get results maybe?"

"I think it's just bad karma," Nene told him as she cracked the cannon's casing.

* * *

Domino drove through the nearly deserted streets near Ueno Zoo. The trains had stopped running a few hours before, there was almost no one about. The white, four-door sedan she drove was one of the few cars on the streets. The car was ubiquitous; no one would ever look at it twice. She found it rather funny that she was in the area of the Zoo. Maybe someone was trying to send her a message.

Normally she would have taken her limousine, she preferred it to driving actually, but that was not practical that night.

She pulled to the side of the road and shut off her car. She was not really parked legally, but at that late hour she knew she did not have to worry about being ticketed. As she got out of the car she activated the alarms with her key chain control. She pushed the door closed, hearing the click of the door locks engaging.

Turning, she looked across the street at the darkness around Ueno Park. She had a meeting in there. It was a trap. That was fine. She needed to know who had set it and the only way was to enter the trap.

Domino knew what was happening in the park, she had sent four Genom surveillance pods ahead of her. They were feeding real time scans directly into her brain on wide bandwidth, highly secure channels. In the last hour a piece of paper had not moved in the park that she did not know of. Useful, but it was giving an over-stimulation headache.

She took a deep breath, ran through a mental checklist then walked into the park, soon lost from view of the street under the deep shadows of the trees.

Once she was within the park she cut the power of the surveillance pod's transmissions so they would go no farther than the park. She had already pulled the recording gear from them to ensure there would be no record of what was to happen.

He was waiting for her in the middle of the park, under the skeletal branches of a cherry tree. He was a tall man, wearing a heavy coat that obscured most of his figure. She could make out little herself but the pods were letting her see everything as if it was day. Even better actually.

"Odotte-san?" he called out in nearly perfect Japanese. He had a slight accentAustralian she guessed.

"Yes," Domino said. "You have some information for me?" she asked. The trap had just been triggered.

"Yes," he reached into his coat with is right hand.

Domino did not give him a chance to pull the weapon free.

He had not expected anyone to move as fast as she did. No one human at least.

Ducking slightly as she exploded forward, her right shoulder slammed into the right side of his chest. He had given her a clear space by reaching into his jacket, raising his arm. She thought she felt ribs give.

The force of the impact sent him turning in the same direction as Domino's pass.

As Domino passed him she reached into her jacket with her right hand, grasping a small .22 revolver. She drew it free, with the same motion slamming her elbow into the right side of his face, flattening his nose. Her left hand slid down to the waistband of her pants, gripping the 9mm pistol there.

She continued her spin, at that point having turned 180 degrees. Still turning she shot the man three times. The rounds had very little powder in them; there was almost no noise. She stopped firing once she had spun 360 degrees. At that point the 9mm was free.

Using the remaining momentum she turned around again, facing the way she had come.

She walked forward calmly, slowly. The remaining two assassins would only just be clueing in on what had happened. The pods gave her their exact locations.

Firing three times she killed the first. Her shooting was dead on. One chest, one neck and one head shot. The rounds were sub-sonic and the 9mm also had a silencer-a tiny electric motor worked the action. There was little noise. Behind her she heard the sound of the first man hitting the ground.

Firing again, another three shots, took out the last man.

She stood there, alone, but for the wounded man behind her.

Domino turned around and walked back to the man she had first shot. He was trying to get up, already on his hands and knees. With a broken nose, the cracked ribs and the three gunshot wounds in his right shoulder he was not getting much farther.

She kicked him in the ribs, close to the cracked ones, careful not to do too much damage. He flipped over onto his back, trying to get away from her. Domino put her foot down on his shoulder, pushing down, grinding her foot over the wounds there. She was pleased to note that the bones had not been broken. Even with the low powder rounds there was always a chance of increased damage. Shattered bones always increased the possibility of death.

He screamed before Domino dropped her knee onto his chest and put her hand over his mouth.

"I'm going to kill you," Domino told him. "Understand that, there is nothing that could save your life, but I want information from you." She kept her voice calm and soft. "You can die quick, and clean and with dignity or I can take you up to the Tower and you will die a broken thing that no one will believe had once been a man."

He stared up to her, his eyes wide, his breathing fast. The very things that made a 33-S so desirable could also make them one of the most terrifying interrogators that had ever existed. She let him feel his heart beat speed up as the pheromones she produced reached his brain. She watched as he attributed that to fear. It was with clinical detachment that she noted he had lost control of his bladder.

With her housekeeping computer keeping tight reign on her emotions she felt nothing for him and she was certain he could sense that.

When Domino took her hand from his mouth he began to talk.

* * *

Shoji Manabe sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the darkness around him. He fumbled for a pack of cigarettes and freed one from the pack. The flame of the lighter illuminated the cheap hotel room, showed him in the mirror. He was a scared looking man. The lighter winked out and he was plunged into darkness except for the glowing ember of his cigarette.

It would be over by now, he thought; everything would soon be all right. He and Maiko would have to leave the city, the country in fact, but she had promised to protect both of them. He had to believe her: he had no choice after all.

He got up from the bed and stumbled over to the honour bar. Pulling it open cast light once more into the dark room. The fridge was nearly empty, he had drank most of the alcohol in it. He pulled one of the last beers free and cracked it open.

The cold liquid eased his throat slightly and made him feel a little more relaxed. He left the fridge door open for the light and returned to the bed. He put the cigarette out in the ashtray then lit up another, noting the pack was almost empty.

Two cigarettes later he heard a knock on his door. Two short, one long, three short. He got to his feet, running to the door. He freed the locking latch, unlocked the dead bolt and pulled the door open. Domino Odotte stood outside his door. "Hello Manabe-san," she said pleasantly.

He tried to slam the door but she hit it, forcing it open.

Shoji fell to the floor. He flipped over and began to crawl towards the bed, to his luggage. There was a gun in one of his bags. He should have had it out, should have been carrying it.

The room was flooded with light as Domino flipped on the light-switch. She closed the door, locked it and put the locking latch back into place.

Shoji reached his bags and began to open them.

Domino walked towards him, moving at an easy pace.

He began to pull his clothes free of the bag, looking for the weapon. His fingers closed on the cold steel of the revolver, his finger slipping into the trigger guard. He pulled it free, bringing it around to point at Domino. His hand was suddenly stopped by Domino's grip. One hand wrapped around his wrist with a vise-like grip, her other hand held the hammer back as she pulled the weapon from his hands. Shoji went limp.

"Manabe-san, you set me up," Domino told him. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and used it to wipe the pistol clean.

"Odotte-sama, I didn't, I swear I didn't," he told her, pushing himself back towards the wall.

"You expect me to believe this?" Domino flipped the cylinder open and let the shells fall to the floor.

"I'd never set you up. I'm loyal to Genom." He was near tears.

"Shoji," she tossed the empty revolver onto to the bed, "do you remember what Mason said to you that Autumn night?"

Shoji shook his head, staring up at her.

"He told you that your wife would be a problem. You love your wife don't you? Would do anything to protect her wouldn't you? No matter how stupid or dangerous?"

He was silent for a moment then said, "Yes, but you have to understand..."

"I have to understand a weakness?" Domino asked him as she pulled a bug scanner from her pocket and wandered about the room. "They threatened to kill her didn't they?"

"I had to," he told her. "I had no choice."

"You could have come to Genom," she said, placing the bug scanner near the TV and activating the jamming field. "You could have come to me. Instead you set me up."

"They told me they would kill her if I did anything like that," he began to cry softly.

"Shoji-kun, you have to decide where your true loyalty lies." She took a small motor unit from another pocket and stuck it onto the room's only widow. It would set up random vibrations in the glass to foil laser microphones.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Who did this?"

"I don't know."

"Please don't lie to me." Domino grabbed the room's one chair and swung it about, then took a seat so she was looking down at Shoji. "Who did this?"

He swallowed to moisten his throat. "Amy Saunders," he said after a moment. "She wanted revenge for what you did to her with the Gendyne Bionentics shares."

"Amy Saunders?"

"Yes."

Domino began to laugh, then shook her head. "Shoji-kun, Amanda Saunders is not good enough to do this. Neither she nor her people would have known enough to turn you. You are lying."

"No, I'm..."

Domino slapped him, one of her fingernails cutting him across his cheek. He put his hand to his cheek, then took it away, looking at the blood there.

"Who is behind this?" Domino asked, her voice cold.

"Michelle Danielson," he said softly.

"That wasn't so hard was it," Domino said as she got to her feet. "You are terminated from your employment with Genom and myself. I want you out of the city by the time the first trains start running. You will of course forget everything you know about Genom."

"Yes," he told her. "I just have to get Maiko."

"I wouldn't bother," Domino said.

"What?"

"You betrayed Genom Shoji-kun. We can't let that go unpunished. Killing you would have been too kind." She walked to the window. "You would not have suffered enough." She pulled the motor free.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

Domino said nothing as she picked up the bug scanner.

"You killed her didn't you." He began to cry. "You bitch, you killed her! Why? She never did anything to anyone." He threw himself onto the bed and grabbed the revolver then rolled onto the floor and began to search for the shells.

"Good-bye Shoji-kun," she said, the lights suddenly went out and he heard the door opening.

His frantic search finally revealed two of the bullets. He pushed them into the chambers and got to his feet, running for the door. He leapt out into the hall, looking up and down it for any sign of Domino. She was gone.

He collapsed to the floor, putting his face into his hands, still holding the revolver and began to cry. He was lost. Everything that had mattered to him was gone. Genom had destroyed it all. Domino had destroyed it all.

* * *

_"Money is a thing that will be there when asked for. A good man is not so easily found"  
_- **Yamamoto Jin'emon**


	35. No Armour Against Fate 2

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
**An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (2 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**Friday, March 31st, 10:07am**

Sayako Sheffield had lost her daughter in the Second Kanto quake. She had grieved and she had thought she had dealt with the pain. Then, several years later, when Genom put her to work on the design team for the Second Generation 33-Ss, she had done something stupid. She had done something wonderful. She did not really know what she had done, even now.

She had given a 33-S the face and form of her lost daughter.

It had seemed so harmless at the time, just something to honour Akiko, her little Kiki. She had not expected that she would grow close to that boomer. She had not expected that she would come to see her as a daughter, but that had happened.

What a wonderful thing to have her daughter, in a way, back. What a terrible pain when she discovered that the Second Gens were doomed to die.

And now Kiki was dead.

Still, even in her death, Sayako discovered something wonderful.

At what she had thought was simply going to be herself crying over the ashes of a boomer she had come to see of as her daughter, others had come. Akiko's friends, co-workers, people who had known her in the short time she had been active since Domino Odotte had taken her away from the storage facility.

It had been less than a month since she had been taken, and in so little of a time she had touched so many lives, done so much. Sayako was so proud of her at the same time she mourned. The boomer had truly done much to honour her namesake.

It made it a little easier to deal with.

"Sheffield-san," someone said from behind her.

She turned. The woman who had addressed her was of average height. She was almost beautiful, but not quite. Sayako knew she had seen the other woman around, but could not put a name to her face. "Yes?" she said.

"My name is Satto Shileea. I knew your daughter. She was a very good person."

Sayako recognised the name. It was likely that Shileea Satto knew the full truth behind Kiki. "Thank you Satto-hakase. You would have treated Kiki-chan..." she paused. "How was she in the end?"

"She was dying, she knew it. She was happy though."

"Thank you Satto-hakase."

"Perhaps there is someone you should talk to."

"Oh? Who?"

Shileea looked across the room at a young girl who stood alone in a far corner. "Her name is Rebecca Lin. She was a friend of your daughter's."

Sayako looked at the girl, wondering how she had come to know Kiki.

Shileea, guessing what Sayako might be thinking said, "She is not what she looks like."

Sayako was about to ask what the meant when she suddenly understood. "I see."

"It might help if you speak with her."

"Thank you again Satto-hakase," Sayako said as she started towards Rebecca.

"Don't mention it," Shileea said.

Sayako crossed the room to where the girl stood. She was wearing a black A line dress and sweater, a very simple outfit. She looked as lost as Sayako felt. "Excuse me Lin-san," Sayako said. "I was wondering if we could talk."

Rebecca looked up at the older woman, a little surprised. "About what?" she asked, trying not to be rude. Akiko's death still weighed heavily on her.

"I've been told that you knew my daughter. I'd like to talk to you about her. Maybe it would help us both." She tried her best to smile.

Rebecca nodded after a moment then did her best to echo Sayako's smile.

* * *

"They might actually be able to help each other," Shileea said, watching as Rebecca and Sayako began to speak.

"Perhaps," Domino said.

"It was a good idea." Shileea turned to look at Domino. "It was very kind of you."

"Do you think so?" Domino asked.

"You are trying to help them."

Domino's face was partially hidden by the black veil she wore, but her smile was easily seen. "Sheffield-hakase is a very useful employee for Genom, but is already suffering from depression. If Miss Lin can help her get over that, all the better. Miss Lin could be a very useful operative, if she can get over her various problems. Sheffield-hakase may be able to help her do that.

"If neither thing happens then Sheffield-hakase will be transferred to some department where her eventual breakdown will not cause any problems and Miss Lin will be dealt with. Do you think it is being very kind?"

Shileea said nothing for a time, then, "No, but the question is if you really believe it."

"I suppose we will find out if they don't help each other. Now if you will excuse me Satto-hakase, I have a golf date in Okinawa." Domino turned and started towards the exit.

* * *

Adam Schwarz sat in a small cell in the USSD's Tokyo headquarters. He was on suicide watch and there was nothing in the cell, nothing about his clothes, that he might use to kill himself. He had tried to kill himself when he had first been brought there, after Genom hand handed him over to the USSD.

It had been a futile attempt and he had lost the strength to try again. He was too afraid now.

So he waited, knowing that he was to be moved out of Japan, probably to New York where he would fade from public thought. And when there was no more chance someone of importance would ask to see Adam Schwarz, they would kill him.

It had all been so pointless. He had thought he was getting vengeance for his father, against the USSD who had cut him loose and made him their fool to avoid taking responsibility for their own stupidity. He had thought he would get vengeance against Genom, who was behind it all, he was certain of that.

Now Genom had leverage to use against the USSD and his father's ace card, the back door into the satellites, was gone. Uselessly wasted by Adam.

His father had not come to see him, had not even returned the one call he had made to him. Was the USSD keeping him away or was he ashamed of his son and would not come to see him? It was just another embarrassment for him to endure. Perhaps his father was in another cell, put there for hiding the secret access codes. Had he been so stupid as to get his father arrested?

His intentions had been good, almost noble, he was certain. He had trusted Douglas, and that had been a mistake it seemed. The man had been mad and he had lied to them all.

The door to his cell opened and one of the guards stepped in. He was carrying a taser in his hand. "It is time for you to leave," the man said, his voice emotionless.

Adam considered fighting, but knew it would be fruitless. The guard would hit him with the taser and then he would be carried wherever they were taking him. He stood and then turned, letting the guard secure his hands behind his back.

He was walked through the halls. He did not know where he was exactly but assumed that he was underground. At the end of the hall was an elevator. Two guards entered the elevator with him and one of them reached out and pressed one of the unmarked buttons. A moment later the doors closed and the car began to ascend.

A minute later the doors opened on the roof. A helicopter waited there, obviously for him. He was led to it, and then helped in. The guards secured him to his seat, one remained in the passenger section with him while the other guard leapt out and moved clear. A moment later the engine started and the rotors began to spin.

"Where are we going?" Adam finally asked.

"The airport," the guard said. "From there New York."

Adam nodded. It was as he had expected.

Not long afterwards the helicopter lifted from the roof, spun on its central axis until it was facing East, towards the airport. It began moving forward, picking up speed, taking Adam towards his fate.

* * *

"Leon-chan, looks like they are moving the package," Emiko Kimble said in her sing song voice. "Want me to go and spank them?"

"Force them down Emiko, but don't kill anyone."

"I'll think about it," Emiko said as she pulled back on the yoke, and twisted the throttle. Her Algonquin leapt up, moving out of the cover of the buildings, chasing after the USSD helicopter. She easily had more speed and power than the civilian helicopter and, if it came down to it, the firepower to turn it into flaming wreckage.

Of course she had no intention of blowing it out of the sky, but she had no need to let the other pilot know that.

As she began closing on the other aircraft she toggled the communication system to the air control frequency. "USSD Delta Charlie Six this is the AD Police. I am ordering you to land your helicopter now," she said using her calm voice.

"What? This is a USSD helicopter with USSD immunity; you have no right to make any such request. Back off or I will file a complaint."

"They want to play," Emiko said softly. She gave her throttle another slight twist, pulling on it at the same time, altering the angle of the blades slightly as she moved her yoke to the side. The high-speed, attack helicopter leapt forward, moving to the port side of the USSD helicopter. "Again, I repeat, put down now."

"You cannot do this!" the other pilot snapped. He covered the boom mike and turned to his co-pilot. Emiko could not hear what he was saying, but she could guess. Probably telling the co-pilot to call for help.

Emiko shook her head. "They never learn." A twist of the controls and an agile dance on the foot pedals sent the Algonquin swinging out in front of the other helicopter, nose to nose, the Algonquin flying backwards. There was less than metre between the nose-mounted chain-guns of the Algonquin and the cockpit of the USSD helicopter. The rotors of the helicopter spun over head, centimetres away from the canopy of the Algonquin. It was the sort of flying Emiko lived for.

The other pilot came close to panicking and in doing so might have caused both aircraft to crash. As it was he was just good enough to avoid that, but it was close. His nervousness was understandable as he was staring right down the barrel of one of the chain-guns.

"Going to put down now?" Emiko asked in her sweet voice. Just above her the rotors of the other aircraft spun by, the air currents causing a great deal of turbulence. She kept control of the Algonquin though.

"You'll be arrested for this," the other pilot said, even as he was looking around for some clear space to land the helicopter in.

"We'll see," Emiko said as she backed off from the other helicopter. She watched as the aircraft descended to the open space of a playing field. The few people there ran to get clear as the helicopter landed.

Even as it was approaching the ground several ADP vehicles moved into the area, led by a Roadchaser.

* * *

Leon knew there was going to be some trouble over what he was doing, and most of it was going to land squarely on his shoulders. It was a chance he was willing to take in hopes of getting some answers. He was getting tired of spending so much time in the dark.

He skidded the Roadchaser to a halt just in front of one of the concrete pillars that marked the boundaries of the park. He was out of his car and running towards the helicopter even as it was putting down.

As he ducked down to avoid the danger of the rotors he removed his badge from his jacket and pulled his Earthshaker from its shoulder holster. He put the badge between his teeth so he had a free hand. When he got to the helicopter he yanked open the door to the passenger compartment, then grabbed his badge from his mouth and held it in front of him. "ADP, we're conducting an investigation into a possible threat to the city." He had to yell to make his voice carry over the sound of the engine.

"You can't do this!" the guard yelled back.

"Then file a formal complaint. Now get out!"

The guard began to reach for his taser but Leon swung his Earthshaker up, pointing it directly at the guard. The weapon was loaded with gel rounds, but the guard did not know that. "Don't try it!"

Several other officers had moved in as well. None of them were in full combat gear, but they were in their work dress, .454 automags at the their sides, in holsters. With the Algonquin hovering directly overhead, the guard and the pilots knew very well that they were outgunned. They did as they were told and got out of the helicopter.

Once they were out Leon climbed into the passenger compartment and put one of the headsets on. "Adam Schwarz," Leon said, "we need to talk."

"Are you here to..." Adam started.

"No," Leon said, guessing what he was going to ask. "I'm not here to help you escape. You are being legally deported and there is nothing the ADP can do about that."

"Then why are you here?"

"Tell me what happened last Saturday night."

Adam stared at Leon for several seconds. "Why should I?"

"We don't have much time. If you don't tell me what happened then it is likely that no one outside the USSD will know. We both know there is a good chance you are going to disappear once this all blows over. Someone should know."

"I did this for my father," Adam said. "He was just trying to do his job, do what the USSD wanted, and what happened was not his fault. The USSD could not let anyone know how vulnerable they could be, so my father had to go down for them." Adam was silent for a few seconds. "The bastards hung him out to dry, destroyed everything he had stood for. They destroyed him. That's why I did it."

"Did what?"

"I was approached by a man named Douglas Meren, he wanted me to help him with a job."

"What job?"

"We were going to take over the USSD particle satellites, hold the city for ransom, make Genom pay us. We would hurt both Genom and embarrass the USSD. That is what Douglas told me."

"So what went wrong?"

"Douglas had it all worked out. We just sit tight and wait. They'd give us what we wanted, but then it all went to hell. He let the Knight Sabers up to negotiate. He said no negotiations!"

"Why did he let the Knight Sabers up?"

"I don't know."

"Who was this Douglas Meren?"

"I'm not sure. He was American."

Leon looked at his watch. He did not have much time left. "Who else was involved in this?"

Adam gave him a list of names, telling Leon what they had done in the group. "Meren screwed up somehow. I got a chance to talk to some of the others before Genom stormed in. He was not really looking for the money. He had lied to us."

"What did he want?"

"I don't know."

"Why you? What did you bring?"

"I had some access codes to the satellites, back doors my father had put in for security."

"Thank you," Leon said. He looked at Adam for a few seconds. "I'll see what I can do to get your story out. It might help."

Adam nodded. "Thanks," he said.

Leon pulled the headset off and jumped from the helicopter. "There is no problem," Leon yelled to the pilots and the guard. "You are free to go." He then turned and waved at the Algonquin hovering above. A moment later the aircraft climbed, turned and sped off. "Let's get out of here," Leon yelled to the rest of his men.

Thirty seconds later they were gone.

* * *

Okinawa had some beautiful golf courses. With its warm weather it attracted golfers all year round. On the island of Ie, to the west of Okinawa, was an eighteen-hole course thought to be the most difficult course in Japan. It was also the favourite course of Daisuke Sakamoto.

Daisuke was a member of Japan's Diet, and currently Domino's golf partner.

They were on the twelfth tee, a par five hole. Daisuke placed his golf-ball on a tee and set himself up. He was using a one wood. He made two practice swings then wound up and smashed the ball. The course had a very serious dog leg in it, beating par meant hitting through it.

Both Domino and Daisuke watched as his ball fell short of the fairway and landed in the rough. "Damn," he cursed softly.

"Too bad," Domino said as she walked up to the green.

"I'll get it yet," he told her.

Domino knelt down and placed her tee and the ball. She was dressed in walking shorts, a blouse, long socks, folded over at the knee and held in place with sock glue, a white blouse with a long sleeved shirt knotted around her shoulders. The two-tone tan and white golf shoes were the final addition. Domino did not care much for golf fashions, but 'when in Rome', as the saying went.

She took her two wood from the bag and set herself up for the shot. She could, quite easily, drive the ball through the dog leg and probably put it close to the green if not on it. She would not, however. Showing off was not something that went over well in Japan, and there was no way anyone one could make that shot. Anyone human at least.

She sliced the ball instead, letting the curve take it into the dog leg and setting herself up for a good attack on the green.

"Very nice," Daisuke said.

"I have my moments," Domino told him as she walked over to her golf bag and placed her driver into its place.

"Let's go," Daisuke said, putting his bag up on his shoulder and then starting off.

Domino grabbed her golf bag and followed after him. They did not use caddies. Daisuke liked walking and he liked carrying his own bag. Also he liked talking while golfing and the things he said were not for just anyone's ears.

"Interesting debates coming up in the Diet soon," Daisuke said after a minute.

"I suppose the ADP's new weapons will be talked about."

"Oh yes," Daisuke said.

"Well, Genom feels that the better equipped the ADP is, the better they can do their jobs and protect the city."

"An interesting stance. Somewhat of a change."

"Change is necessary in order to survive in the long run."

"Well, that being the case, there are some people who do not wish change."

"Oh? Who?"

"There are a few people in the Diet who will probably make the biggest noise about it. Nitsuta Kyouhei-san is something of a hawk. He wants the SDF to be handling boomers incidents in MegaTokyo."

"I suppose Nitsuta-san was upset at how quickly and competently the ADP handled the recent crisis."

"Nitsuta-san is a public servant, he'd never be upset about something like that."

"Of course," Domino smiled.

"Then there is Matsushima Yumie-san. She basically does not like the ADP."

"Yes, I know of Matsushima-san. She can be quite convincing when she sets her sights on something."

Daisuke nodded as he stepped into the rough to look for his ball. "And finally there is Takasato Yuuka. She is an interesting one."

"How so?" Domino asked as she walked towards Daisuke's ball. She had seen exactly where it went and had marked it with perfect accuracy.

"She is pro-boomer."

"Pardon?" Domino asked, stopping and looking back at him.

"She feels that the ADP is killing boomers and should not be allowed to do so. I suspect that she will be voted out by her constituents next election. I doubt they wanted their representative to be standing up for boomer rights."

"Interesting," Domino said. She turned and continued walking until she stood over Daisuke's ball. "Here it is," she called to him.

"Thanks," Daisuke said as he walked over to where Domino stood.

"You're going to use a wedge aren't you?"

Daisuke nodded. "I need to get the lift."

"Try mine."

Daisuke gave Domino and odd look, then walked over and took the wedge from her golf bag. As he was removing it he spotted a small, data-cylinder taped to the shaft of the club. He surreptitiously removed the cylinder, palming it as he examined the club. "It's a little too short for me," he told her, returning the club to its place.

He walked over to his golf bag and, after putting the cylinder into a small pocket on the inside of the bag, removed his wedge.

"I guess we'll just have to hope those three realise that it is best if the ADP remains well armed," Domino said with an innocent tone.

"Yes," Daisuke said as he moved to stand over his golf ball. He was not sure what impressed him more. That Domino knew who the problem members of the Diet were and had prepared the information on them in advance, or that she knew he was going to need a wedge.

He made his swing, sending his ball onto the fairway, but he did not like the way it lay. He'd be lucky to make par on the hole.

"Those are nice clubs you have," he said to Domino as they walked out of the rough. "I did not see a brand name."

"No, they are custom made. If you want I can give you the name and address of the shop."

"Yes, that would be very nice," he told her. He knew that he would not have to pay for the clubsone of the benefits of helping Genom out. He did not do it for the money or gifts though. He did it because Genom wanted Japan to be strong and the MegaCorp understood Japan in way few others could. They did not want Japan to change its culture.

It ensured Daisuke's loyalty.

* * *

Priss' place was still lacking in furniture, but she did not mind. Lying on the floor, her head on a pillow, listening to soft music from her stereo, that was good enough. When her phone rang she used her remote to mute the stereo then rolled over, noting a slight twinge of pain in her side, and grabbed the phone.

She flipped the phone open and brought it to her mouth. "Moshi, moshi, Asagiri desu(Hello, this is Asagiri)."

"Priss, good news," she heard David say.

"David?" Priss sat up. "What is it?"

"Gordon, my partner, he pulled some strings and talked to some old friends. We've got the money to go ahead." His voice was quite cheerful.

"What? Really? Well, when?"

"How soon can you be ready to go?"

Priss was about to say right away, but remembered the performances she still had to play at the Hard Rock. "I've got some commitments here right now. The soonest I could leave would be fifth of April."

"Okay, we can work with that. I'll arrange for airline tickets. I'll need to know what you are brining and what you will need here."

"I'll talk to the band and get you a list in a few hours."

"Right. I'm going to fax you some contracts to look over. You don't have to sign them; you'll sign the originals once you get here. I figured you'd like to know everything beforehand."

"Thanks."

"Listen Priss, I've got to run. We'll talk later."

"Right. I'll get the passports and everything together."

"Good, good. Later," he said then hung up.

Priss pressed the cut button on her phone and rolled back so her head was on the pillow. Things were looking up. She lifted the phone up and began dialling a number. She had a lot of calls to make and a lot of things to arrange.

* * *

Rei closed the door to Gillian's cell. She had spent her second day interrogating the other sexaroid, though the interrogation method she used was somewhat unique. She had simply spent three hours, sitting in the room, looking at Gillian and saying nothing.

She had done what Domino told her: Reveal nothing and watch to see what the other revealed. And Gillian had revealed quite a bit. She had swung from begging to threatening, had screamed and had cried. Rei had just watched, saying nothing, keeping her face blank.

It left the 33-S feeling a little guilty. She could guess what Gillian was feeling, and for Rei to just sit there, saying nothing, giving no answers, it would be difficult. She was also feeling a little guilty about the suspension coffin she was going to have put in the room later that night. Rei knew that the thought of being put back into suspension would be hard on Gillian.

Tomorrow she would start asking questions. She was fairly certain that by then Gillian would provide answers. She had already, unknowingly, provided some.

"McErie Rei-san," someone said from behind her.

Rei turned to see Manabe Takeo standing in the hall, looking at her.

"Odotte's new assistant, replacing one Sheffield Akiko."

"Yes," Rei said, looking the man over. Domino had given her a briefing on all the important people in Genom. Manabe was fairly high up, but recently he had lost prestige. Dangerous, but not terribly so.

"Do you know how Sheffield-san died?"

"In combat," Rei said.

"Something you should think about. Odotte-san is rather cavalier with the lives of her employees. Admittedly, she is rather cavalier with her own life."

"Do you have a point Takeo-san?" Rei asked, curious as to what he was trying to say.

"You are new here, and I've looked at your files. You are quite talented. I'd hate to see that talent wasted."

"I thank you for your concern," Rei told him. Domino had set up a false history for her. It might eventually come out that Rei was a 33-S, but it would take some time. "I'm sure that Odotte-sama will make sure that my talents are nurtured."

"Perhaps," he said, not sounding convinced. "McErie-san, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Rei was a little surprised by the question, but hid it. "I'm not sure that would be wise," she told him.

"Do you think Odotte-san would disapprove?"

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure I want to have dinner with you Takeo-san."

"Well, why don't you have dinner with me, and then you can be sure."

Rei was becoming even more curious as to what Manabe was up to. There was one way to find out. "What time do you want to eat then, Takeo-san?"

Manabe smiled.

* * *

For several minutes the loud voice of chief Todo had rung out of his office as he had severely reprimanded Leon. Words like 'cowboy', 'loose cannon', 'hot head' and 'idiot' had been used, as well as many others.

When the yelling finally stopped there was a few seconds of silence, then a click of Leon opening the office door as he walked out. He looked a little frazzled, but when he saw a few people waiting outside of the office he gave them a smile and then slammed the door behind him.

"Sounded tough," Nene said from where she stood.

Leon shrugged his shoulders. "The USSD can't launch any sort of formal complaint, not without letting everyone know what they were up to. I get yelled at, but that's it."

"I got all that information you wanted," Nene said, dropping her voice. She held out a disk to Leon.

"Good." Leon took the disk. "Come on." He put a hand on Nene's shoulder and directed her away from the office. "I didn't thank you for your help in this. If you hadn't found out exactly when they were taking Schwarz out of the place, and how, this might not have worked."

"Just trying to be of help."

"If there is anything I can do to thank you, just let me know," Leon said, then smiled down at Nene. "Say a night of passion."

"How would that thank me?" she asked, looking up at Leon.

"You can be rather cruel for such a cute little package."

"Actually, there is something you can do for me."

"Name it," Leon said as they reached the elevator doors.

* * *

When Domino came back to Genom she found Haruko waiting for her in her office.

"What is it?" Domino asked as she placed her golf bag on the floor.

Haruko looked a little nervous, as if she was not sure what to say. "Security dropped by earlier."

"And?" Domino asked.

"They asked me to tell you that your parents were found dead in their home," Haruko said, then swallowed. "I'm sorry."

At first Domino had no idea what she was talking about, then realised what she was saying. The real Domino Odotte's parents. Interesting, she thought. "I see," Domino said, trying to get her voice right. Even if Domino Odotte had been estranged from her parents she would have cared if they were dead. "Did security leave a report?"

Haruko held out a disk.

Domino walked over and took it from her. "Thank you. Can you leave me alone."

Haruko nodded. "If you want to talk to anyone Odotte-san..."

"Thank you," Domino said, giving Haruko what she hoped looked liked a brave smile. She was going to have to work on her mourning skills.

Haruko nodded and then left the office, closing the door behind her.

Domino looked at the disk then circled around her desk and slid the disk into her computer.

As she had expected security's report was quite thorough and detailed. They did their job very well.

Ken and Junko Odotte had been found dead in their Calgary home. They had been killed, according to the postmortem, on the 26th of March, though they had been tortured for several hours before their deaths.

After three days friends had called the police, worried that they had not heard from the Odotte's for several days. The police had investigated and discovered the bodies.

"Very good," Domino said softly. Hit heras far as they were concernedparents to try to learn everything about her, and probably to make her mad. Well, she was not mad, but she would act as if she were. She smiled slightly. She had just been given an advantage by her enemies and they were not even aware of that.

She looked at the computer screen, at the picture there. Ken and Junko had been terribly hurt before they were killed. Domino knew enough about interrogation to know such things were unnecessary. It was a message to her, written on the bodies of two people who were basically innocent.

She would have to send flowers to the funeral service.

* * *

Nene walked over to the car that Mackie had told her Dr. Raven was working on. She looked about, wondering where he was. "Raven-hakase?" she called.

"Hai," Raven said, kicking out from under the car on the wheeled board he was lying on. He found himself staring up Nene's skirt.

Nene, hearing his voice from below her looked down. She screamed, jumping back.

Raven, blushing, said, "Sorry."

Nene also blushing simply nodded.

"Nene-san, what are you doing here?" he asked her, quickly bring up a safe subject.

Nene took a deep breath. "I want to buy a bike," she told him.

Raven got up from the floor. "A new scooter?"

"No," she shook her head. "A motorcycle."

"A motorcycle? Do you even have a license?"

Nene reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She held it out to Raven. "It's a temporary permit. I should get the permanent license in a week or two."

Raven took the paper and unfolded it. It was in fact a motorcycle license for bikes up to 1000cc engines. "How did you get this?"

Nene smiled. "A friend in the ADP has his instructor and examiner papers. He owed me a favour."

Raven shook his head as he handed the papers back to Nene. "I suppose you do actually know how to ride a motorcycle, though it might be a little different than what you are used to."

Nene nodded having already thought of that.

"So what kind of bike are you looking for?"

"Well, I was thinking of something like one of Priss-san's bikes."

Raven shook his head. "I'm sometimes not even sure that Priss-san should be riding the type of bike she rides."

"What do you suggest?"

"I'll show you what I have," he said, walking off towards a back room. Nene followed after him.

In the room were a number of motorcycles, all on their centre stands, about half covered with dust sheets.

"Some of these are brand new, the '34 models, a few '33s as well. The rest are all used, but the engines have been completely rebuilt and they are all in good condition."

"I think I want something new."

He nodded and looked about, then pulled the cover off one of the bikes revealing a white and red bike with the lines of a racer. "It's a 500cc Honda F4. More than enough for a beginner's bike."

Nene nodded as she walked over to the bike, laying her hand on the accelerator. "It looks nice," she said.

Raven nodded. "It handles well, too well some have said."

"Too well?"

"Some like the handling to be a little eccentric. More exciting that way."

"I could do without that sort of excitement."

"That's probably the best bike I have for you."

Nene moved her hand across the bike, tracing her fingers along the gas tank and then across the seat. "I'll take it."

"That was pretty fast."

"I did some research on bikes before I came here. This was one of the ones that came highly recommended."

Raven smiled. "Well, let's get the sales papers written up." He turned and started towards his office.

Nene followed after him.

* * *

**April 1st, Saturday, 2:34pm**

The Tower, while never quiet was not as busy as it was on weekdays. While a number of employees had come in during the morning to finish up various projects and assignments, most had left before lunch.

The senior executives worked under a different set of rules, however.

In a small, secure meeting room Domino, Katherine and Marino had gathered for a private meeting. The three of them each represented a substantial piece of Genom's power. Together the three women knew they could accomplish much.

"I'd like to ask you about Manabe Shoji," Katherine said near the end of the meeting.

"What about him," Domino asked, keeping her tone innocent.

"Why is he still alive?"

"Because I want him alive," Domino told her.

"Yet you sent two hit teams after him," she countered.

"Neither of those two teams were up to capturing Manabe-san," Marino said. "They were picked specially for that."

Katherine looked between Domino and Marino. There was something between them, Domino had had the new-comer's loyalty. She would have had liked it herself but she gained it, to an extent, by allying with Domino. It was a very interesting situation. "So you are playing him," she said.

"Yes," Domino nodded. "He hates me, hates Genom to an extent, and has had contact with those threatening Genom."

"Why does he hate you?" Katherine was curious about that. From what she knew of Shoji Manabe he was a level headed operative.

"He thinks I killed his wife," Domino told her.

"Did you?" Marino asked.

Domino turned to look at her. "Misawa-san, it does not matter if I did or did not, all that matters is that he thinks I did."

Marino dropped her eyes ever so slightly. "Of course. I'm sorry Odotte-san."

Katherine took note of that, wondering what it might mean. "I'm disturbed," she told them. "Manabe Shoji knows a lot about Genom and how we operate."

"Yes," Domino nodded. "Almost as much as he thinks he does, but that is rapidly changing."

"He is still a security threat."

"And he will be dealt with, when he is not longer useful. He did arrange the attempt to kill me after all. That sort of thing cannot go unanswered."

"So you know where he is?" Katherine asked.

"Yes. We are not watching him too closely right now out of fear of scaring away the real target, but he is being watched."

Katherine thought about it for a time then nodded. "I'll leave this in you hands then. For now."

Domino smiled at that. "Of course Madigan-san.

* * *

There were of course other meetings going on within the Tower. There always were. Two floors down from where Domino and the others were meeting a similar gathering was taking place.

Kenji Sousuke and Samantha Johnson, being two of the older members of the core executives, had been working together from some time. Manabe Takeo was a new member of their group.

Kenji and Samantha had decided to bring him in because he was young, and skilled, and more importantly because his recent embarrassment had broken some of his rough edges off. He had been ready to see that he needed help.

"Do you have any idea why the woman you sponsored has given her loyalties to Odotte?" Samantha asked Kenji. She had been working up to the point since the meeting began several minutes earlier.

Kenji said nothing for several seconds, then shook his head. "I don't know. I was certain that Misawa-san would join us."

"Damn," Manabe said. "Acquisitions, Dirty Tricks and Security all working together. Those three have an insurmountable power base."

"That is true," Kenji said. "The three of them together will be able to make things happen."

"Odotte has already made things happen." Manabe got to his feet. "We have to do something about that. We cannot let the ADP have the power that has been given to them."

"Yes we can," Samantha said. "We have to it seems. The Chairman has given her his support in this. Or at least he has not contradicted her which amounts to something similar."

Manabe sat heavily. "Why does she have Quincy-shachou's support? That is what I want to know. Is she his mistress?"

"Quincy-shachou would not be swayed by something so unimportant. Even if he was sexually involved with her he would not let that cloud his judgement." Kenji had known Quincy for some time and was certain of his assessment and his tone reflected that.

"And while Odotte certainly has the necessary attributes for playing such pillow games, and may very well do so, she is formidable in other ways," Samantha said as if she was not quite pleased to admit it.

"Then what do we do?" Manabe asked.

"She raised the bar, so we have to match it. There is no other choice," Samantha told him.

"Can't we just pull the bar back down?"

Kenji shook his head. "That cannot be done, not unless the right circumstance arises and you can take advantage of it, like Odotte has done. And to try to operate under the bar is to court disaster."

"Those who cannot rise to the new expectations will be removed from Genom, or should retire now before they get in trouble. In the end Genom will be stronger. That is of great value," Samantha said.

"Yes, and it will be Odotte who wields that power," Manabe's tone was obviously bitter.

"Perhaps." Samantha picked up her teacup. "We must of course remember that we are all working to make Genom stronger. Odotte-san is just doing what we all wish to be done. To move against her is to bring Quincy-shachou's anger down on us."

"She might not always be in the Chairman's favour though," Kenji said speculatively.

"Yes." Samantha finished her tea.

"What if she is?" Manabe asked.

"No one is that good," Kenji told him, dismissing his concern.

"No one has been that good yet," Samantha said. "Perhaps that is about to change."

Kenji frowned at that.

"Well, I have started something that may be of value to us," Manabe told them.

Samantha looked at the young man for a moment. "If you are planning on going up against Odotte-san I suggest you be very careful. There is more there than we think. I believe she still has the capacity to surprise us."

"Perhaps we will surprise her instead." Manabe smiled. It had something of the shark in it.

* * *

"Do you know Takeo Manabe-san took me on a date last night," Rei said to Domino.

Domino did not look up from the paperwork on her desk. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Oh yes," Rei said. "It is very nice to be with a man who wants to have sex with a woman."

"Not quite what I was asking about, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"He is trying to turn me against you."

"Really?" Domino looked up from her work. "Has he succeeded?"

Rei shook her head. "He is being very subtle about it."

"How so?"

"He's told me that you've put a number of your employees in a great deal of danger."

"Yes, I have."

"He is suggesting that he would hate to see me get hurt, which is what might happen if I continue to work for you. Not in so many words of course, but that was the point he was getting at."

"Manabe was always a good student," Domino said softly, as if she was thinking out loud.

"Student of what?" Rei asked.

"A student of games such as these. He does not have much respect for you."

"No," Rei shook his head. "Or he thinks too much of himself. He is good, but I could see through him."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever you want. If you wish to continue your relationship him, do so. Perhaps you may learn something of value."

"Aren't you concerned that I may actually betray you?"

Domino shook her head and then turned back to her work.

"How is it you can be so confident?" Rei asked after a time.

"Because I make it my business to be confident," Domino told her. "If you always appear confident you can lead your people into disaster and still have a chance to succeed." Domino looked up from her work again. "And while I may send you to your death one day, I'll be truthful about it, and that sort of respect is valuable to you. It is valuable to everyone."

Rei nodded and reached for some of the paperwork. "So, what do we do now?"

"Wait, prepare and do our job."

* * *

**April 5th, Wednesday, 7:46am**

It was Nene's last day of work so she had come in early. Had she been thinking clearly she might have realised what that would mean. Over the last few days she had been busy with shutting down illegal boomer recycling operations, dealing with the USSD, and just getting things put together so Leon's office would still run once she left.

She planned to get the last of her work done so everything was in order when she left that evening. There would probably be a goodbye dinner, but that was a far off thought. It was only when she opened her locker and found the seifuku waiting for her that she realised that the day was not going to be normal.

"Told you I'd do it," Naoko said, stepping out from behind a line of lockers.

Nene looked over at her. "I take it I cannot expect a quiet day of peaceful work?"

Naoko shook her head. "We can't let your last day be one with dignity can we." Naoko smiled mischievously. "It's not like you kept a lot of dignity in the past."

Nene took a brush from her locker and lobbed it at Naoko. She easily stepped out of the way, which was what Nene intended. "Play nice," Naoko admonished Nene.

"Shut up," Nene said as she began undressing.

"So this is your last day." Naoko picked up the hairbrush.

"Yes," Nene said. Now that it was out in the open she was feeling it. "I'm going to miss this place."

"Even me?" Naoko said playfully.

Nene thought about it.

"Hey!" Naoko said.

"Yes," Nene said, smiling at Naoko. "I am going to miss you." She looked at the school uniform in her locker. "I can't wear this."

"Leon said it was all right."

"It must have a real short skirt then," Nene said, pulling the uniform from the locker. It was a fairly standard uniform. Pleated blue skirt, white blouse, and a grey blazer. Unlike most school blazers the one Nene held had ADP shoulder flashes sewn onto it and sergeant pins on the collar.

"Just put it on," Naoko said. "Remember, you promised to take all this with good grace."

Nene laughed as she continued undressing. She then put on the uniform, which fit very well. Naoko used the brush that Nene had thrown at her to comb out Nene's hair then put it in a ponytail.

"You do look like a girl who is graduating from high school," Naoko said once she was finished.

Nene nodded as she looked into the mirror. "Maybe you should put on one of these uniforms and see how you look."

"No way," Naoko said. "I don't want to attract all the pervy guys who want high school girls."

"I never thought about it that way. It might be a good way to get dates." Nene shifted into a cute pose in front of the mirror.

"It will probably work on Leon."

"What wouldn't work on Leon-chan?"

Naoko and Nene looked at each other and began to giggle.

* * *

Priss rifled through the duffel bag once more to be sure that everything was there and then zipped it shut. She grabbed the bag's handles and slung it over her shoulder. She then picked up her guitar case and left her bedroom.

As she moved through the living quarters she did a quick visual check to make sure that she had taken care of everything. Nothing left on, nothing left out, nothing to worry about. She left the living space and locked the door behind her and then turned on the alarm system. A moment later she was walking down the stairs.

Soon an airport taxi would be coming by to take her to the airport, but there was still time. Priss put her duffel bag and guitar case down by her car then went to make sure everything in the recording studio was ready to go. She had given Minako Shimizu the keys to the main door and the studio so she could come in and make some recordings of her band. She was not paying Priss a lot, but Priss felt like being generous.

Satisfied that Minako would find everything she needed Priss closed and locked the door and then walked back to her luggage. The taxi still had not come.

She looked down at her car, noting that the hood was dimpled. No surprise really. Priss circled to the driver's door, fished her keys from her jacket pocket, and then opened it. She popped the hood and then moved in front of the car. She triggered the hood release and opened it. Slapping her hand against the underside popped the slight dent out.

Priss slammed the hood closed and went to lock the car's door.

She and Miako had gone out the night before, a sort of celebration for her trip to Scotland and the recording deal. Priss had let Miako drive, and Miako had taken advantage of the powerful engine. She had basically driven like a maniac. Albeit a skilled one.

Afterwards they had come back to the factory and ended up making love on the hood of the Cobra. Well, making love was not really the right word. Fucking and sucking and fingering and licking and fisting and, well, a lot of stuff that really did not fit the concept of making love. Raw sex that had left Priss feeling a little abused. No doubt Miako was feeling it as well, but she had been stoned before, during and after.

She just did not know why she was with Miako, other than she was. It was probably like Miako told her. They shared enough of a past, but not too much of one. They fit well together, even though there was very little emotion involved in the relationship. Well, it was something to think about later, after she got back from Scotland.

A short time later the taxi arrived.

* * *

Priss found Takeshi and Norio in the first class lounge at Narita. By the looks of things they had decided to take advantage of the free alcohol. It was not that they were drunk, but they were looking rather relaxed. Norio, like Priss, was carrying his guitar case. Takeshi had not brought his entire drum kit, just a few pieces that he liked to have. He had obviously checked those, as his carryon bag was too small to be holding even those.

"Ready to go?" Priss asked as she took a seat across from them.

"Yeah," Takeshi said, smiling.

"I wish they could have come here," Norio said, picking up his beer bottle. "I hate flying."

"You could be in the wrong business," Priss told him.

Norio took a long drink from the bottle. "I'll deal with it."

"Good," Priss said, then got up to walk to the self-serve bar. She poured herself a large glass of orange juice and grabbed a bagel from a basket of fresh baked goods.

"So why are we heading out to Scotland?" Norio asked when Priss got back.

"According to David the guy he is working with wants us to come to him. David says he has his own studio and he likes to work there."

"At least we get a trip out of it. That's a pretty good deal. Free vacation sort of."

"Not really free," Priss told him as she ripped the bagel in half.

"What's that mean?" Takeshi asked.

"We give up a small percentage of our cut on royalty fees until this is all paid for. It is a very small percentage, and we are not responsible if sales never hit the place where they get their money back."

"They'll get their money back," Norio said with a great deal of confidence.

"I hope so," Priss told him, then took a bite from her bagel.

A few minutes later Yuuko showed, carrying her bass case with her.

"Cutting it a little close," Priss said to Yuuko as she took a seat with the rest of them. "We should be boarding in five or ten minutes."

"I was saying goodbye to Leon," Yuuko said, smiling.

"Long, tearful goodbye?" Takeshi asked.

"Something like that. It is what happens when you are dating someone."

"Ouch." Takeshi smiled at her.

"So Yuuko and McNichol are getting all sweaty over each other, it's not like we care," Norio said.

"Speak for yourself," Takeshi said. "Getting sweaty with someone sounds like a good time to me."

Priss picked up her orange juice and finished drinking it. Then she stood and put the glass down before picking up her guitar case. "I'm going to head down to the boarding area."

"What, and not take advantage of all this?" Norio asked, indicating the lounge with a freshly opened beer bottle.

"Air travel and excessive alcohol are a bad mix," Priss told him as she turned and walked from them. "Plus there will be plenty of booze and other things on the plane itself."

"I'm hungry now," Yuuko said as she got up. "I'll see you on the plane I guess."

Priss nodded and headed towards the lounge's exit. She was not upset that the rest of the band was not coming with her. In fact her real reason for leaving was to get some privacy. She stood on the concrete steps between floors, looking out the windows at the landing field and the planes there. "I'm leaving on a jet plane," Priss sang softly.

Of course it was not really true. She was leaving on a supersonic, sub-orbital, different enough from a jet plane. And she knew when she was going to back, roughly. It was a nice song though.

She wondered what was going to happen in the near future. David told her that it would take a few months before any album they released began to pick up speed. He would start everything in England, wait for the sales numbers to build up and then cut the deals to get it distributed in North America. If things took off there, then everything was set.

He made it sound so easy, but Priss did not think it would be. She did not think David was lying to her, she just did not see it being that easy, not with everything she had gone through in her past. That things could be easy did not seem to be something that applied to her.

She was still staring out at the planes when the boarding announcement chimed over the public address system. "Flight VA-158 is boarding passengers who require aid in boarding. Please move to the gate." It repeated twice in Japanese and English.

Priss picked up her guitar case and started down the steps. Next they would be boarding the first class passengers.

David had put them on Virgin Airlines. Takeshi and Norio had made a few tasteless jokes about that, asking whether Yuuko and herself should be on that airline. They had thought it was funny. It had left Priss wondering if she should form an all girl band.

As she was approaching the boarding gate the announcement was made that the first class passengers could board. Priss pulled her boarding pass from her jacket and had it ready at the check in desk.

As she entered plane she wondered what a sub-orbital flight would be like. She had flown in standard jets a few timesonce in a while the Replicants had been booked in other parts of Japanbut this was the first time she would be leaving Japan. It was a little exciting, even as she tried to act as if she did not care.

Priss put her guitar case into the overhead bin then sat down in the large, comfortable seat. A stewardess, human, the boomers were working coach, came up and offered her a drink before take off. Priss asked for water.

The other members of the band arrived shortly after, taking their seats.

"I've never flown in a sub-orbital before," Yuuko said. "I hear we almost hit space."

"Close," Takeshi said. "Sort of just on the boundary between space and Earth's outer atmosphere."

"How fast will we be going?" Yuuko asked him.

"Almost thirty thousand kilometres an hour, I think it is something like Mach 25."

"Wow."

"You got to wonder if that is safe," Norio said.

"Worried?" Priss asked.

"A little. Why do you think I was drinking?"

Priss smiled. "Because you're an alcoholic."

"I wish," Norio leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Not long afterwards the plane began to taxi down the runway. The sub-orbital, a Boeing Clipper, was a rather beautiful plane, similar in design to the old Concords. The Clipper's wings were variable geometry, allowing the pilots to alter the configuration to achieve optimum performance.

On take off they were fully extended for maximum lift. The plane took off at low speeds in order to keep the noise down. Something the people who had to live around the Narita Airport appreciated.

The plane flew out over the ocean at only a fraction of is top speed. During that time the two, first class stewardesses offered drinks, snacks and motion sickness pills to any passenger who wanted them. Norio took them up on the pills and the drinks. Fortunately the pills were made so as to not to cause any adverse reactions when mixed with alcohol, except for drowsiness-which is what Norio wanted anyway.

Once the plane was out over the ocean the pilot brought the SCRAMjets-S(upersonic) C(ombustion) RAMjet-up and the plane began to rapidly climb to an altitude of 23 kilometres. It was not for the faint of heart or anyone with a heart condition for the matter.

The trip from Tokyo to Edinburgh took just a little over three hours and when they landed it was 8:40am, Wednesday morning.

They passed through customs without any real difficulty, though the language barrier did cause some minor confusion. Priss, who had always thought she had a firm handle on English, found the Scottish accent more than a little difficult to figure out.

David was waiting for them just outside of the arrival gate.

"Priss," he called out.

"David," Priss said, moving towards him, though the crowd. "Nice to see a familiar face here."

"That's why I showed up." He looked towards the rest of the band. "Norio, Takeshi, hisashiburi desu ne(long time no see)," he said, switching to Japanese.

Priss introduced David to Yuuko. Once the basics had been taken care of David led them from the airport. Outside was an airport limousine that took then to a nearby heliport.

They were continuing on to a place called Aberfeldy, near Loch Tay, where they would continue by car. Helicopter gave them the fastest and easiest journey there. No one complained. Norio's fear of flying did not seem to extend to helicopters.

"Gordon is really looking forward to meeting you," David told Priss as the helicopter began to ascend. "I think this is going to work out very well."

Priss nodded. "It would be nice if it did."

David smiled. "Trust me."

The funny thing was that Priss did.

* * *

_"Sympathy is the Most Splendid of All Qualities Sympathy is the most splendid of all qualities. This is especially true when it is found in men, but it also applies to women. Compassionate remarks of the type 'How sad for you!' to someone who has suffered a misfortune or 'I can imagine what he must be feeling' about a man who has had some sorrow, are bound to give pleasure, however casual and perfunctory they may be. If one's remark is addressed to someone else and repeated to the sufferer, it is even more effective than if one makes it directly. The unhappy person will never forget one's kindness and will be anxious to let one know how it has moved him"_  
-**Sei Shonagon**


	36. No Armour Against Fate 3

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (3 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**April 5th, Wednesday, 4:43pm, MegaTokyo**

It had been something of a rough day for Nene. She had, all in the name of fun, been the object of a number of jokes over the day. People kept asking her if she was lost, pointing out the ADP building was not a school. She was asked if she wanted to join the police when she grew up. She was made fun of in a number of ways.

And the funny thing was she was going to miss it.

She had finished off all her work, making sure there was nothing left undone. She had said all her goodbyes and given her goodbye gifts-she had spent over fifty thousand yen on handkerchiefs and other small gifts, as well as two coffee makers, for Leon's office and the communication centre.

Now it was almost over. Tonight Leon and the others were treating her to a farewell party, but she was done for the day. All she had to do was turn in her ID and other things, including her service weapon. When that was done she would officially be out of the ADP.

It was harder than she had thought it would be.

"Nene-san," she heard someone say.

"What is it Lieutenant Wada?" she asked very politely.

Kaoru shook his head. "I'm sorry Nene, I never meant for you to find out like that."

"You never meant for me to find out at all."

"Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know how to say this. I love my wife, but I also love you. We can still be together. Karen won't mind, all we have to do is be discrete."

"I don't want to be your mistress."

"It is not like that. I love you Nene. I didn't mean for that to happen. At first I just thought you would be fun to be with, and then I wanted our relationship to go deeper, and that took me by surprise. I still want to be with you."

Nene looked at him. He looked tired, maybe near tears. She almost felt sorry for him. "I don't want to be with you," she told him, suddenly feeling a little older, a little more mature. "Goodbye Lieutenant Wada," she said as she turned and walked away. She still had things to take care of.

* * *

**April 5th, Wednesday, 10:03am, Scotland, near Aberfeldy**

Once they reached Aberfeldy Priss and the others found two Land Rovers waiting for them. The house was a little North of Aberfeldy, overlooking Loch Tay, they were told.

It had been on the helicopter that Priss had finally learned the full name of David's partner. She had not expected to be working with Gordon Sumner. While it had been over a decade since he had last released any new material, Priss was familiar with his work. He had also been working in the studio with a number of other bands and he was well known as a producer.

She found herself feeling a little more positive about it all. She was willing to take the chance at being disappointed. That was not something she had been willing to do for some time.

The house turned out to be more of a mansion. Two, in some places three, stories in height, made of dark, grey stone, it almost looked like a castle. It was built upon a large raise, overlooking the Loch below. The road curved up the hill towards the structure. The land around it was rough and rolling. Little surprise the helicopter had not landed there.

It was a little after ten AM when they arrived. They were shown into the mansion and met by its owner. Gordon Sumner looked older than the last picture Priss had seen of him, which admittedly must have been taken more than ten years prior. He was very gracious and, realising that it was after six in the evening back in Japan, showed them to the dining room.

While Norio and the rest of the band ate and talked to David, mostly about what was fun to do around there, Priss and Gordon talked business.

Priss had sent David recordings of thirty-five of her songs. Gordon wanted twelve for the album and had selected the ones he thought would work well together. Priss thought there were better choices for the twelve, though she agreed with the majority of his choices.

They spent hours talking the merit of each song over, about how the Japanese and English translations differed.

By the time they finally came to an agreement it was nearly four in the evening.

"Bit late, for me," Priss said, hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"Must be late back in Japan."

Priss looked at her watch. "Almost midnight."

"You should probably get some rest," Gordon told her. "Tomorrow I want to listen to your sound in person, figure out the best way to do all the recording."

"Sounds like a good plan," Priss told him as she stood up and stretched. "I'm looking forward to this."

"Glad to hear it," Gordon said. "I think this will be big, in all the ways that really matter."

"I hope so," Priss said.

* * *

**April 6th, Thursday, 12:35am, MegaTokyo**

"So," Leon said, pouring Nene a fresh glass of sake. "Now what do you do?"

"I don't know," Nene said with a giggle. "I guess I just get ready for classes." Nene looked at her watch. "Darn."

"What?" Daily asked.

"I've got an entrance ceremony today," she said. "It starts at noon." She laughed. "I don't think I should show up hung over."

"Actually being hung over will probably distract you from what is bound to be a dull ceremony," Leon told her as he began to stack the empty sake decanters in front of him.

Nene nodded. "Where's Naoko-san and the others?" None of the communication staff were around, even some of the tactical people were missing as well.

"Left a while ago. She's got to work tomorrow," Leon told her, adding another decanter to his pile.

"So do you," Nene pointed out, slurring her words just a little.

"We're more used to late nights and excessive drinking," Daily told her.

"How do you explain that then?" Nene pointed at Tetsuya Kawasaki, Leon's second in command. He was leaning up against the wall, asleep.

"He still doesn't know how to pace himself." Leon placed another decanter, overbalancing his pile and causing it to collapse to the table. "Kind of sad really."

"They're cute, but they can't hold their alcohol," Daily said.

"So what do we do now?" Nene asked, sipping at her drink.

"Third party?" Leon suggested.

Daily looked over at Nene. "Up for the 'more drinks at a dingy bar' stage of this night?" he asked her.

"Sure," Nene said, getting shakily to her feet.

"I'm impressed," Leon said as he stood smoothly. He looked down at Tetsuya and gently tapped him with his foot. "Get up."

"I'm up," Tetsuya said before he fell over onto the tatami matting.

"So, where are we going now?" Daily asked.

Leon looked over at Nene who was at the threshold of the room, trying to put her shoes on. "The Air Force club," he said softly.

"That would be the hostess bar, right?"

Leon nodded.

"You're a cruel man McNichol-san."

"I prefer to see it as knowing how to have fun at other's expense." Leon looked around at the other people sitting around the table. "Okay, we're moving on," he said loudly. "The night is still young, as they say."

**

* * *

**

**April 5, Wednesday, 9:45pm, Scotland, near Aberfeldy**

"I'm surprised you're still up," David said, loudly enough to be heard over the sound of the club's music.

"If I went to sleep when the rest of the band did I'd be waking up at three or four in the morning," Priss told him.

"So you are just going to bash your way though the jet lag?"

"Seems like a good idea to me."

"I envy your energy."

Priss smiled at that. "I feel sorry for you old people."

"As you should. Must be nice to be on the right side of twenty-five."

"Can't complain."

"So you like Gordon?"

"Yes," Priss said, then raised her glass to her lips and took a pull at her beer. "He's got a good understanding of my songs," she told him after she had finished drinking.

"That's why I brought you to him. He can work with you and you can work with him. You look like you're having an easier time believing in this now."

"You brought me to a big name. That changes things. Before I thought you had thrown together a fly by night kind of deal."

"It is still like that. We'll probably live or die with your record."

"Thanks for putting the pressure on me."

"We'll be all right." David smiled and then took a large drink from his beer.

"What's the name of this label anyway?"

"Stung Records," David told her.

Priss thought about it for a moment. "I like it."

"Good," David said, nodding. He looked about the room for a moment then back at Priss. "Want to dance?"

Priss thought about it then got to her feet. She held out her hand to David. "Let's go."

David took her hand and let her help him to his feet. He moved closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulders as he directed her out onto the dance floor. They were playing something slow, a good song to dance to.

* * *

**April 6th, Thursday, 9:14am, MegaTokyo**

"You're doing much better," Mako Namura said to Linna as they stood off in the wings, watching as the other dancers move through a separate routine.

"I feel like I'm doing better. Actually, I feel like I'm dancing incredibly well, better than I ever have before."

Mako smiled. "I'd be careful about thinking like that. It could end up being embarrassing. Kikuchi-sensei looks for signs of excessive pride and goes after it."

"I can't help it. I feel good."

"Don't say I didn't warn you if you get in trouble."

"Noted," Linna said.

She did feel good, really good. Dancing was helping her. It was easy to put some of the recent events out of her mind. It was easy to pretend that she was not getting to see the others because of a choice of her own.

She had not been able to see Priss off the other day, but that was because she had to be at rehearsal. She was not able to be at Nene's entrance ceremony because she was at rehearsal. The only problem was that she would not be able to see Nene later that evening to congratulate her. That was what would remind her that she could no longer see the other Knight Sabers, that Sylia had told her not to.

It was all because of Devon, though she was certain that there was no real threat from him. Just Sylia being overly paranoid. It did not seem fair.

"Linna-san," Mako said loudly.

"What?" Linna asked, looking to her.

"We're up," she said, pointing at the now empty stage.

"Oh, sorry," Linna said as she followed Mako out onto the stage. From the opposite side Miki Foley and Tina Honda came.

The three of them took their positions on the stage and began to move their feet in the initial steps as the music came up. The first part of the dance was simply foot movements as they stood in place. Precise, perfect movements as the three of them stood, backs to each other.

Around them Tina moved in a different dance. She was playing the part of Izanagi, the creator of the three, noble kami Linna, Mako and Miki were portraying. Andrea had had the musicians work two melodies into the music, one that Tina danced to, the other for the others. It was extremely complicated for the dancers to keep to their own music, to keep the beat they were supposed to stick with.

Yet when it worked it looked beautiful.

There was more that followed as each of the three noble kami had their own parts to dance, separate of the others. It represented Izanagi giving them all their separate missions. Linna, last to dance that part, had to explode into controlled chaos at the end to represent Susano's upset at being given the ocean to rule.

Linna was still working on getting the controlled chaos down, but she was doing better since her talk with Miki.

Andrea had them go through it all twice more before finally letting them take a break as she went on to work with some of the other dancers. Linna walked off stage and went to get a bottle of water. Focused on the dance as she was she had forgotten, temporarily, about her troubles with the Knight Sabers.

* * *

Nene was considering revenge. She was considering how best to get back at Leon, who, as far as she was concerned, deserved to die. She was not sure why she had agreed to go to the hostess bar with him, other than the fact he had sprung it on her. She had just thought it another bar at first.

Then the hostess had shown up and started blowing in her ear.

Leon had thought it the funniest thing he had ever seen. Nene was not so certain.

She had stumbled home a little after three in the morning, very drunk, with lipstick on her collar.

Yes, she was going to get back at Leon.

Morning had brought a rather unpleasant hangover, and the startling revelation that Nene could feel near death and yet look quite healthy. A long, hot shower and a couple of Midol had her feeling pretty good. She hoped the pills' effect would last longer than her hangover.

She had dressed in her senior high uniform, putting it on just right. She checked the year pin, and her class pin, then the school pin. Everything was just where it was supposed to me. That was important because her mother and father had been waiting for this day for a long time, and they would want her looking just right. Especially her mother.

She picked up her NAVI from her desk and slid it into the inside of her school blazer. Into another pocket went her wallet. She could not carry a purse with her uniform, well she could have, but it would look odd. Back when she had actually been in school she carried it all in a briefcase and backpack.

She looked at herself in the mirror once more and then left her room.

Downstairs she found her mother and father waiting for her. Of course her mother wanted to take some pictures and fussed with Nene's hair and uniform. Eventually all that was done and they left the house.

As they climbed into her father's car Ali gave the motorcycle sitting near the house an angry look. She was very displeased with her daughter's latest vehicle, but Nene was not giving it up. It was not worth arguing.

A moment later the car was backing out of the driveway.

* * *

As it was a pleasant day, a little warmer than usual for that time of year, the entrance ceremony was to be held outside. It was in a park on the outside of the city, a large, open area, filled with cherry trees. Buds were on the branches of the trees; the blossoms were a week or two away. Nene would have liked it if the trees had been in full blossom. It would have been so beautiful.

Not that there was not a certain beauty there already.

The students stood in long lines underneath the tress. The majority of them wore the uniforms of Genom schools. There were a small number of students from other schools; Nene was one of them. They had been grouped with the graduates of a small, all girl high school in Okinawa. That group was one of the closer ones to the podium.

Speakers and flat screens had been set up through the park to ensure everyone was able to hear and see the various speakers.

Nene was surprised to find Mei Nagane in the same line as she. It seemed that one of Nene's friends had let the younger girl know what Nene was up to. Nene did not know whether to be flattered that the girl had gone to such great lengths to get close to her or to be incredibly annoyed at her so called friends.

It was something she would have to decide later. At that time she could only hope that Mei would get over the crush after spending some time in a co-ed environment. The last thing she needed was Mei following her around. Furthermore, annoyed as she was at Kaoru, she was still attracted to men.

Mei was cute, but Nene was not at all interested.

Fortunately Mei's enthusiastic greeting was cut short when the ceremony began.

The first up on the podium was the Vice Dean of Students who welcomed them all there and asked all present to stand for the playing of Nihon's national anthem.

Once the music was over she then introduced the Dean of Students, Akoto Nanamiya. Akoto was a middle-aged man, his age showing on him. He wore a grey morning coat and carried a top hat with him. Heads of educational institutions, from elementary schools up to universities had been wearing such ceremonial outfits for over a century. A throw back to the time when Nihon had its borders forced open by Western powers.

Akoto took his place at the podium, removed several sheets of carefully folded paper from within his coat, unfolded them and began to read a long speech.

Nene, like almost every student there, feigned polite interest as the Dean went on about how they should work hard to accomplish their goals, and work together, learn to be a team. He talked about the history of Genom Daigaku, short as it was, the history of education in Nihon, and the history of Genom. Nene had heard several such speeches during her time in school and there was nothing really new to it.

Basically it was a 'work hard and do well' type of speech.

After Dean Nanamiya stepped down an executive from Genom took the podium to speak. It was supposed to be Kenji Sousuke, but he had cancelled for reasons not given. Nene was fairly certain she knew the reason the executive was not there. It gave her a quiet sense of superiority that she knew things that no one around her was aware of.

There were speeches from the Mayor of Tokyo and two members of the diet as well as one of Gendai's alumni who had gone on to fame outside of Genom in Hollywood. All in all a very boring two hours.

Finally it was over and they were dismissedand it was very military in naturefrom their neat lines to advantage on the food and drink that had been lain out during the speeches as well as get to know their fellow classmates and some of the faculty. There were over four thousand students there, most of the freshman class for 2034.

"Sempai I'm so glad we're going to the same school," Mei said happily.

Nene sighed loudly and turned to look at Mei. "Why did you come here?" she asked.

"Because you did sempai."

"That's not a good reason to choose a school!" Nene hissed angrily.

"Of course it is sempai," Mei said. "You're so smart and so cool that any choice you make is a good choice."

Nene promised herself never to let Priss or the others, but especially Priss, meet Mei. One, 'Nene is cool' comment would elicit stories showing how wrong that conclusion was. "Do you even know what you are going to do here?"

"Advanced computer science," Mei said simply.

"Why that?" she asked, having a sinking feeling. She herself was going into ACS.

"It's what I want to do," Mei said, surprising Nene a little.

"So part of the reason you are here has to do with the fact that you can get the courses you want?" Nene was hopeful.

"And to be with you Sempai."

"Naturally," Nene sighed.

"Satoo-sempai told me that this was a really good school even if it did not rate very high. Then she told me that you would be coming here."

"Kate is an idiot," Nene mumbled softly. That's what she got for keeping her friends informed of what was going on. "Well at least one of your reasons for coming here was good."

Mei suddenly grabbed Nene's arm in a very possessive manner. "Sempai, I'm so glad we are going to the same school."

Nene gently freed her arm from Mei's grasp. "Well, that's good," she said, sounding a little lame. "I have to go find my parents and then talk to some of the faculty. I'm sure that we'll get a chance to talk more."

"Hai sempai," Mei said happily.

Nene turned and began walking towards where she had last seen her parents. Mei was going to be a problem, Nene was sure of it. And if she told anyone about it they would be likely to laugh at her. It was so unfair.

* * *

**April 6th, Thursday, 10:14am, Scotland, near Aberfeldy**

Priss found her plan had worked out fairly well. She had not gone to sleep until a little after midnight, local time. Then had woken at a little after nine. After a long shower she had dressed and had gone to look for David or Gordon.

She found them both, with the rest of the band, in the dining room.

"When did you get up?" she asked Norio as she sat down beside him.

"I woke up at four," he told her. "I hate jet lag."

Priss laughed as she grabbed a roll from the tableit was still hotand tore it open. "So what do we do today?" Priss asked as she began to butter the roll.

"I want to listen to you play. We'll go through all the songs we are going to record. I want to get a feel for your music first before I do anything," Gordon told her.

"Works for me," Priss said cheerfully as she took a bite of the roll.

"I can't believe you are a morning person," Yuuko said form the other side of the table. She had a large mug of coffee in front of her.

Priss smiled. "One of the benefits of youth."

"I can't believe that you are younger than me," Yuuko added, then took a drink of her coffee.

"This is going to be a long day," Gordon told them. "I think we can get all the recording finished by Sunday, if we work hard."

"I became a musician to avoid hard work," Takeshi lamented as he put his head down on the table.

"Don't make me replace you with a drum machine," Priss told him.

"Slave driver," Takeshi said, a smile on his face.

"I think this is a good time to begin," Gordon said as he got to his feet. "We have to put together a drum kit for Mr. Nado and tune all the instruments."

Priss got to her feet as she finished off the roll. "Sounds like a plan." She was ready to work and had been waiting for that moment for almost a decade. Finally she was on her way.

* * *

**April 6th, Thursday, 9:05pm, MegaTokyo**

Linna drew her steak knife across the prime rib, carefully cutting out a bite sized piece of meat. Devon watched her, an amused look on his face. "Is the food not good?" he asked her.

"Pardon?" Linna looked up from her plate, a little surprised by the question. "No, it is fine."

"It's just the way you are taking so much time, I would have thought that it was not very good."

Linna shook her head as she put a piece of the steak into her mouth and began to chew.

Devon watched her then waited until she swallowed. "You want to tell me something, and yet you don't, so you are stretching out the meal to avoid it as long as possible."

Linna put her knife and fork down on the table. For a time she said nothing, then she looked at Devon. "You're right."

"So, tell me, what is it?"

"I enjoy being with you."

"I suspect there is a 'but' in there or you would not be hesitant about this."

"I like being with you, talking with you, having sex with you," she added the last part very quietly, "but I want more."

"You want a commitment," he said as he picked up his wineglass. "You want to know that our relationship will go farther than it has."

"Yes."

Devon drank his wine, then held the half-empty glass up to the light. "I told you about this at the very beginning. It can go no further." He placed the glass back on the table.

"Why not?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. I want to know why it can't go any further. I need to know why the one man I have met in a long time who truly interests me can't make a commitment."

"I can make a commitment."

"Just not to me," Linna accused.

"Please Linna, don't be like that. This has nothing to do with you."

"Then what does it have to do with?"

Devon sighed as he took up his glass once again. He finished the contents off and then put the glass back on the table. "It's my nature."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"When I was younger my family moved back and forth between Japan and some other countries. My father had to travel a lot. When I was seventeen we were in England. One of the other students looked up the meaning of my name, not knowing anything about kanji and their different meanings, or how Okami differed from Ookami. He started calling me 'Wolf'."

Linna looked confused. "So?"

Devon smiled. "I always thought the young man, I think his name was Ian, might have uttered a prophetic statement when he gave me that nickname. I've seemed to take after the Wolf in a number of ways."

"You've lost me."

"The wolf mates for life, so they say. I had my love once, now she's gone. You want to know why we can't go further? It is simple. I don't, nor can I, love you. You are a friend Linna-san, but that is all you can be to me."

"That's not enough."

"No, I don't suppose it would be." He picked up the wine bottle from the table and filled his glass. "But it is all I can offer."

"I wish it was enough, I really do." Linna's voice was soft with a hint of tears in it.

"No you don't," Devon told her, then picked up his glass and took a drink. "You want more than that, you know you always will. You wish I could give it to you."

"But you can't."

"But I can't."

Linna laughed. "I just can't get these relationships right."

"You don't have to," Devon told her, taking another sip of his wine. "You are young, there's time ahead of you. Consider this a learning experience."

"I wanted it to be more," she told him. There were tears running down her cheeks. "I just wanted a relationship where I could be myself and not play any games."

"You'll find it."

"How do you know?" Linna demanded, raising her voice slightly.

"Because you are a fighter and you won't give up until you have what you want. I saw it when you first danced. I saw it later, so many times. Like a good fighter you also know when a situation is not winnable and when to retreat."

"So that's what I am doing, retreating from a fight I can't win."

Devon nodded. "It's the smart move."

"It also is painful."

"Sometimes they are one in the same."

Linna got to her feet and walked around the table. Devon stood and watched as she came to stand in front of him. He wondered if she was going to slap him. She did not. She moved in close and hugged him tight. "You are an idiot Okami-san. You are chasing away the best thing that could have happened to you," she said very quietly, still crying.

"I know," Devon said to her. He had heard statements like that before. They still got to him.

Linna released him and turned, walking away. She did not look back. Devon watched her go then picked up his wine and finished it. He sighed as he put the glass back on the table and then reached into his jacket for his wallet.

She was right. He was an idiot, but he was also very much the lone wolf that a young man named Ian had called him on a gloomy day in London. Prophetic words indeed.

* * *

Linna left the restaurant, pulling her coat tight about her. So it was over, the hopeful romance with a man old enough to be her father, grandfather actually. The romance that had got her in trouble with Sylia.

She did not know whether to be relieved because it was over or angry because Devon could not commit. She would have though that he had a fear of commitment except she was fairly certain Devon Okami was not afraid of anything.

No, he was just pining for someone he must have loved a long time ago. That was the problem with the older lover she realised. They had a lot of ghosts in their past. You could not fight a ghost, she was pretty sure of that.

She pulled a handkerchief from her coat pocket and used it to wipe the tears from her face and took a few deep breaths of the cool, April night air. She felt a little better, but still sad. What she needed was someone to speak to. Priss would be a good choice. She would simply tell Linna to accept it and move on, which was good advice, even if Priss did not always take it herself.

Of course Priss was not even in the country now and even if she was it was likely that Sylia would not take kindly to such a meeting. Not that Linna was entirely sure that that would stop her. She still felt that Sylia was overreacting a little.

Her friends from the dance troupe were not close enough that Linna felt comfortable talking to about what had happened.

You have only yourself to blame, Linna told herself. You knew what sort of man he was from the start; he let you in on how things would be almost right at the beginning. You knew it and chose to go forward.

Admitting responsibility for it helped a little; cleared her mind to focus on the actual problem. Now she just had to decide what to do about it. Maybe it was time to stop looking for the perfect man and accept that everyone was going to have some flaws.

Linna stopped in front of a small bar and turned towards the door. She really could use a drink or two. Tomorrow she would start re-working her guide to romance and dating. Tonight she just wanted to be sad.

* * *

**April 7th, Friday, 11:12am**

Sylia did not really hear Shuji Okumoto, though she was listening to him.

Her lawyer was getting ready to resign on her. She had seen it coming and had already arranged for someone to succeed him. She had found a younger woman who would be willing to take more chances, and to ignore certain odd dealings. Of course that might make her less than trustworthy in some respects. Sylia would take the proper precautions.

Her mind was not on the meeting, but somewhere else. Caught up in memories and dreams, she was far off.

Shuji never noticedhe was too preoccupied with his own feelings. Sylia's dealings had finally become too much for him. He felt guilty for what he was going to do and tried to put it off by going into inconsequential details.

Sylia looked down at the legal pad she had been writing on. Her neat handwriting had become cramped and almost illegible.

A rough outline of a boomer intelligence covered the page, a little more specific detail for the new things she had thought about.

Taking her pencil she drew a line across the paper, the point snapping off as she reached the bottom.

"Stingray-san?" Shuji said.

"Pardon?" Sylia looked up at him, not quite sure where she was for a moment.

"I was saying that I hope my resignation will not cause you too many problems."

She looked at him for a moment and realised he had been talking about resigning for the past few minutes. "I will survive Okumoto-san," she told him.

"I've taken care of everything, made detailed notes, whoever you hire should not have too many problems taking over."

"Yes," Sylia nodded as she picked up her briefcase. "I think that takes care of everything. Is there anything else we have to discuss?" She put the note pad into the briefcase that she then locked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then I'd like to thank you for all your hard work over the past years." She stood. "Thank you Okumoto-san." She bowed. "Goodbye." Sylia turned and walked from the office.

"Goodbye," Shuji said, quickly getting to his feet and bowing.

Sylia was not thinking about him as she walked to the elevator. She was not thinking about much. She was trying hard not to think about the information that covered the top sheet of the notepad in her briefcase. She was trying not to think about that a lot.

* * *

**April 8th, Saturday, 9:56am**

Domino looked at the computer screen, watching as the data flashed by, waiting for the information that she wanted to see. She and Katherine were in one of the workstations in the lower parts of the tower. Neutral ground as it were.

"There." She hit the scroll lock. "That is it."

Katherine looked at the information on the screen. A small company in Mexico had just been sold.

"How much did they get for it?" she asked.

"Enough to replace some of their losses."

"You are sure that they owned that company?"

"One hundred percent? No. I'm sure enough to risk the time investigating it."

"Will you put a trace on the funds?"

"Backwards and forwards. Seeing where they came from might be of use."

"They are getting desperate."

"Wouldn't you be?" Domino asked her.

"Yes, but I like to think that I would be more clever about it."

"They are panicking. They did not expect us to react so fast or decisively."

"They should have, considering what you believe about them."

Domino looked away from the screen and up at Katherine. "You think it is something else?"

"I don't know for sure," Katherine said slowly. "I do know that if Largo was gifting," she put a slight emphasis on the word, "his knowledge on others, they would play this game better."

"They might, if they were not all suicidal."

"I find that hard to credit."

"Rathen made sure he would die before he could know how things would turn out. Meren chose to die when he might have escaped. Both had lesions consistent with Dr. Stingray's process. Seiroku also chose death when he might have escaped."

"Two you can be sure of, one not so sure. We don't know how many people may have been compromised but we know it is more than three. We can't assume that those remaining are suicidal or likely to be as sloppy."

"Agreed," Domino said after a moment.

"Either they are making mistakes because they want to fail, they are stupid, or this is yet another feint."

"We have prepared for all three possibilities."

"I think you are not giving as much consideration to the third possibility."

Domino was silent for a few moments as she thought over Katherine's words.

"I may be fixated on one possibility to the exclusion of others, but as you are not, we balance each other out."

"I'd rather we were both working off each other's strong points instead of shoring up the weak."

"What would you have me do?"

"Only consider other options. I think you may be right in the end, but we cannot afford to ignore other possibilities."

"Thank you," Domino nodded.

Katherine looked at the young woman and felt she might have just been manipulated. She knew that she had just subtly changed their relationship. She had become a mentor of sorts and she did not know if Domino really needed one, really needed any advice. In the future she might find herself entering the mentor role with greater ease if she did not check herself. Domino was not her protégé, but her competition.

Domino had turned her attention back to the screen, setting information scrolling across it again.

Katherine looked down at her and decided to take a chance. "Who was that woman your teams pulled out of the house in Houston?"

"Rathen's mistress, the same woman who was in the city with him. One of our stray 33-Ss."

"Do you think she knows anything of use?"

"Perhaps. It is hard to be sure. She may not be able to tell us anything more than what unit AB22A had to tell us."

Katherine nodded. "We seem to only get the ones that belonged to people already dead."

"Hopefully that will change soon," Domino said.

"What about that mercenary company, the one that screened Rathen?" Katherine asked.

"Nothing of real import yet. Someone who we red flagged is looking to hire them."

"Really," Katherine said, suddenly interested. "I'll have to look into that."

"As you will," Domino said, glad she would be doing it. It freed up time. "Here." She hit the scroll lock and pointed to the top of the screen. "Someone is buying up space on two cargo shuttles with the funds from one of Largo's accounts."

"Why?"

"I think I'll send a team to find out," Domino said.

"We're closing in on them," Katherine said.

"I know." Domino nodded. "It will be interesting to see how they react to all this over the coming days and weeks."

* * *

Devon looked at himself in the mirror. He was getting old. Not that many would notice, but he saw it in his eyes. There were times he found himself regretting all of his past decisions. A very telling sign that he was getting too old. Maybe it was the fact that Linna had ended their relationship. There had been too many endings like that over the years.

He should have truly left it all behind him. Retiring into the shadows had not made it easier, it just meant he had to more careful not to trip over something when he moved back into the light.

Reaching up, he straightened his tie. He had to meet with Quincy shortly, one of their talks. He had a little too much power for Quincy's taste and, no matter how loyal he was, Quincy could never trust him completely. Not giving up his voting shares was another thing that Devon found himself regretting. It had seemed a daring move to make when he had done it, now it just seemed foolish.

He could not give them away now, however; they were part of the legacy he would leave and part of his power to protect.

He looked over to the chest of drawers and the picture that sat atop of it. His daughter, so long gone. Another of his regrets and one that was with him constantly.

Sighing, the old man took his hands away from his tie and turned away from the picture. He would not make Quincy wait.

* * *

The meeting had gone on for almost an hour when Quincy asked the question he had brought Devon in to ask.

"Has anyone tried to turn you yet?"

"No," Devon said.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing I would call conclusive."

"Explain."

"I always get a few offers to help embezzle from Genom or to supply someone with information. Any of those over the past year might have been attempts to turn me, but I can't say for sure."

Quincy said nothing, just stared levelly at Devon. Devon returned his stare.

"I want you to talk to Katherine Madigan about the attempts in the past and if any future attempts are made you are to keep them interested. Go along with them."

"I understand."

"What are your weaknesses?" Quincy asked him suddenly.

Devon was a little surprised by the question. "What can be used against me?"

"Yes."

"Nothing, not anymore."

"You are sure of that?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for your time Okami-san," Quincy said, dismissing him.

"It was not a bother. It is good to talk to old friends," Devon said, getting to his feet and then walking towards the door.

Quincy watched him all the way, staring at the man. He often wondered about Devon, if he was telling the truth. Devon was one of the few who could lie to his face convincingly. This time he had no questions though. There were still levers that could move the man, no matter what he said to the contrary.

It was in his best interest if he made sure that those levers did not become available to outside sources. That assumed that those outside sources knew of them.

It had come down to that a lot over the last year. Just how much did his enemies know?

* * *

Devon stared out the windows of the restaurant, looking at the city but not seeing it. Domino watched him, wondering where he was. She often wondered just how much he had seen, who he had known, where he had been. Like most of the people who had founded Genom his past was locked up, not that she had pried. He told her things, of his past, secrets he knewall of them valuable, though few of any use in her day to day life at Genom. She was not surprised. Devon knew, as she did, that certain things had to remain a secret.

"Do you like this restaurant Odotte-kun?" he asked her.

"It is nice," she said. It was the truth.

"Yes," he said and for a time he was quiet. "There was a nicer one though."

"Long ago?" Domino asked.

"Long ago." He smiled. "A number of buildings, none taller than three of four stories, stores and a restaurant on the bottom floors. Tore it all down to put up a parking garage." He shook his head. "Three years later the quake hit and levelled the entire city. They put up a hotel here and put a restaurant on the top floor."

"The more things change," Domino smiled as she quoted the old saying.

"That is lie," Devon told her. "Once things change, that's it."

"Did you go there often?"

"At one time. My daughter and I ate there a lot."

"You have a daughter?" Domino was more than a little surprised.

"Had," he said, suddenly seeming old to Domino. "She died in the quake." He looked up at Domino, the sadness passing as fast as it had come. "So, Quincy-san has my past locked down as tightly as his own?"

"I've never tried to pry into your past," Domino told him.

"Not much there really." He shook his head. "You know, last time I ate with her was twenty two years ago almost to the day. It doesn't seem that long."

Domino placed one of her hands on his and smiled. She liked Devon, liked the way being with him allowed her to forget about the games, the intrigues, the ploys that she lived by in Genom. In the end there was no real advantage to being with him. Only the minor players thought their relationship important and Domino was never threatened by the minor players. They were beneath her notice.

"Losing your latest mistress hit you hard," she said.

"She was a good one. Very smart as well, which is why she left me."

"Perhaps she does not know what she is missing."

Devon shook his head. "She knows. All of them eventually realise that the relationship will never go deeper than friendship. Most leave then. Linna-san just figured it out quicker than most." Devon looked at Domino for several seconds, simply staring into her eyes. "That's why I don't take this any further. You are just like me."

"Pardon?" Domino asked, a little surprised.

"We share the same sort of ability to deal with the people close to us, to subtly shut out those who might want to get even closer. To keep them at an arms length. I don't think I would care much for that."

"And yet you expect your mistresses to accept it."

Devon nodded. "I did not say it was right, that is just the way it is."

"I think you like it that they fall in love with you."

"Pardon?" it was Devon's turn to ask.

"You like it that they want you, want to be closer. Maybe it is a power thing."

Devon stared at Domino, several conflicting emotions hinted at in his eyes and face. Then suddenly he laughed. "Maybe you are right Domino-san. But I do not feel like talking about such things. So tell me, have you and Madigan-kun discovered the threat to the company I helped to build?"

"And you say you know very little about the happenings of Genom." Domino shook her head. "We are getting closer. We have more leads to follow then we did before." She was silent for a moment. "Did you know Komatsu Seiroku?"

"For a time. He was one of my protégés. I brought him into Genom before it was Genom. And yes, I think his betrayal is very uncharacteristic. He had a lot of useful qualities but ambition and drive were not among them. It was what doomed him to an ultimately minor posting in Brazil. He did not have the guts, to use that wonderful metaphor, to have done this. Whoever this person was he is not the same Seiroku-kun I knew."

"Interesting," Domino said.

"I'm glad I could be of help then."

"It confirms some things I have been looking into," Domino said. "Should we order now?"

"Let's," he told her.

* * *

**April 9th, Sunday, 1:39pm, Scotland, near Aberfeldy**

"Last song," Gordon said, putting his hand up to cover a yawn. He had been working hard, along with the band and the technicians, and they were almost finished.

Priss sat in a recording booth, beside Yuuko. She looked over at Gordon and gave him a thumbs up.

"Roll tape," Gordon said. "Rain's got to end, take 1," he spoke into the microphone.

Yuuko started playing, going for deep notes on her bass. The last song was almost spoken, the music in it very subtle. She was the only musician to play on it.

Priss nodded her head in time to the music, then leaned forward towards the microphone.

"There's a comfort in loneliness,  
The arrogance of survivors.  
Yet in darkness nothing grows And it is so easy to be lost."

She sang softly, almost speaking the words.

Yuuko picked up the tempo a little for the chorus.

Priss sang,

_"You wrap yourself in darkness like it's a cloak,  
You embrace your loneliness as your only friend.  
But one day you're gonna have to reach for the light,  
One day the rain's got to end._

_"You put out thorns Hiding behind aloofness and anger.  
But there is no warmth,  
And nothing exists in a vacuum."_

She sang the chorus again, putting more feeling into it. She moved back from the mike and let Yuuko play for a few seconds. It was a simple, sad song, laced with hope. It was good one to end on.

Yuuko toned down her playing and Priss sang once again,

_"Solitude can be painless,  
Or at least it is a dull pain.  
It is a coward's way though,  
And you'll have died before you lived._

_"You wrap yourself in darkness like it's a cloak.  
You embrace your loneliness as your only friend.  
But one day you're gonna have to reach for the light.  
One day the rain's got to end._

_"Death can be a final refuge,  
And insanity can give an exit.  
But it is not the choice you want,  
There is always another option.  
If you want it."_

Priss moved back from the mike again and let Yuuko finish the song off with the last of her slow, deep notes. Yuuko finally stopped and stilled her strings, letting everything go silent. After several seconds Priss looked over to where Gordon and the others stood behind the glass. "Well?" she asked.

"That's it," he said, smiling. "We're done."

Behind him Takeshi and Norio began slapping David on the back and thanking him. Yuuko leaned over and hugged Priss. Priss looked at Gordon through the glass and smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed the words.

Gordon nodded.

* * *

**Geographical Notes**: As far as I know there is no manor house near Aberfeldy, overlooking Loch Tay.

**Cultural Notes**: Nights out in Japan are often, especially for parties, are punctuated by a number of stages. A dinner at a nice restaurant will be called a 'first party'. The next stage, a nice bar somewhere, is the 'second party' and so on. Often the quality of the establishment declines the farther into the evening one goes. It often ends early in the morning at some place where you can get a couple of bowls of soba before stumbling home.

An entrance ceremony for schools is likely to go on much as I have described. The principal of the school, Dean, will wear a morning coat with long tails and a top hat. The rest of the faculty tends to go for suits for the men, kimonos with hakama for the women. And the ceremonies are long. The best ones to watch are for elementary schools. Nothing like watching a principal read a speech to a bunch of six year-olds.

_"Throughout your life improve yourself daily, becoming more skilful than yesterday, more skilful than today. This is never ending"_  
-**Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	37. No Armour Against Fate 4

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (4 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**April 10th, Monday, 9:51am, MegaTokyo**

Sylia sat in her office, staring out the window, tapping her pen on the desktop in time to some slow song playing on the radio. She was thinking about Shuuji's retirement, and his replacement and a number of other things.

She picked up the piece of paper she had been writing on during her last meeting with Shuji. The line across it was deep and dark, cutting the paper in half from top left corner to bottom right. While the pencil line obscured some of the information, it was still readable. Ideas to improve on her father's basic design. Quite advanced as far as she knew.

The problem was what was she to do with them? Work for Genom? Try to compete against Genom. Neither one seemed like a very good option. She was not even sure she could compete against them. Genom owned many of the rights to her father's work.

She carefully folded the piece of paper in half and then turned her chair so she was facing one of her filing cabinets. It was unlocked with her thumbprint; she pulled open the middle drawer and slid the paper between two of the files. Perhaps she would find a way to make use of the information in the future. At the point it was just something she did not need.

She closed the drawer then turned her chair back to her desk and the reports she had received over the past few days.

Genom was doing something. They had a number of their better teams out in the field. There had been news of deaths and the destruction of properties. A very quiet war was being waged. Sylia was not sure against whom though. All she could do was wait and hope that the answers would come.

* * *

Linna had decided that she needed to speak with someone about what had happened with Devon. Just to say the words and get them out in the open. After giving it some thought she had chosen who she thought was likely to be the best person.

"Kicuchi-sensei," Linna said as she moved to stand near where Andrea was sitting. It was their lunch break and most of the other dancers were resting.

"Yes Yamazaki-san?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me about Okami-san."

"Okami-san is a very private person. I don't think it would be right for me to tell you anything."

Linna thought about it for a moment. "I understand, but, well..." She did not know how to say it.

"You had a relationship with him and now it is over, by your own choice."

Linna nodded.

"Sit down Yamazaki-san," Andrea indicated the empty seat beside her.

Linna sat down. "How did you know what happened?"

"Devon is a charming man, and he has a thing for dancers. You are not the first that this has happened to."

"I thought as much. How did you meet him?"

"Much in the same way you did. I probably had much the same relationship that you did, but it took me much longer to realise that there was nothing there for me. Years later, when I started this dance troupe, he showed up again. As I said, he likes dancers. At least he has always been generous with his donations." She looked at Linna. "Tell me Yamazaki-san, do you think I should have informed you as to what might happen with Devon?"

Linna thought about that for a moment then shook her head. "No. I think it was my choice, and he was honest about things from the start."

"He does have that going for him. He never lies to you."

"That makes it worse. It makes it easy to respect him, to come to care for him."

"I know. It hurts now, but that will fade soon, I think."

"I've not had much luck in relationships in the past," Linna admitted.

"Who hasn't?" Andrea said with a smile.

Linna smiled. "That makes me feel a lot better actually."

"I'm glad I could help. As bad relations go, one with Devon-san is probably the best."

"Thank you," Linna said.

"You're welcome." Linna got up to leave.

"Yamazaki-san."

"Yes?" Linna looked towards Andrea.

"Tighten up your timing in the second act or I might be forced to replace you."

"Hai sensei."

* * *

It was Nene's first day at Genom Daigaku(University), though the first two weeks were based around orientation so there were very few formal classes. Nene had spent the first half of her first day wandering around, finding out where all her classrooms were.

The majority of the university's classrooms, labs and offices were located on the floors of the many buildings that surrounded the Tower. Gendai also had a central campus as well, a large area, in some of the most expensive land in MegaTokyo. It was certainly not the most profitable way to use the space, but there was a certain prestige factor to it.

Most of Nene's classes were in one of the glass towers, which meant she would not be running around a lot as she moved between classes. Two of her advanced computer technology courses were held in the main campus, but that was close enough that Nene knew getting there would not be too difficult.

Satisfied that she knew where everything was, at least in respect to her class schedule, Nene went to find a cafeteria. There were several to choose from so Nene just went to the closest. She would surely get a chance to visit them all long before the orientation period was up.

It was a fairly standard cafeteria. Nene picked her food from the racks, placing it on her tray, and then paid for it at the end of the counter. She used a debit card she had received on the previous Saturday during registration. She had been told that Genom would offer her a full scholarship, and that included food. It also included housing if necessary. Nene had decided to remain with her parents, but the next school year she might give housing some thought.

She had found a table and was beginning on her salad when Mei took a seat across from her. "Good afternoon Senpai," she said with bubbly enthusiasm.

"Good afternoon Mei-san." Nene wondered if the younger woman was stalking her.

"This is a great school. They have everything. Have you seen the computer labs?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure they are nice."

"Nice? They are great." Mei looked around to make sure no one was close. "With the sort of power we have we could have a lot of fun, ne Senpai."

Nene sighed. "Mei-san, you cannot hack from one of Genom's computers. They are all linked into a central unit that watches for that sort of thing."

"They are?"

Nene nodded as she picked up her cup of green tea.

Mei thought about that for a few seconds then asked, "How do you know that Senpai?"

Nene coughed in surprise and spat out some of her tea. She grabbed a paper serviette and wiped her mouth and chin. "Pardon?" Nene asked, hoping that Mei might not ask the same question.

"How do you know about the way the computers are hooked up here? I was playing around with them and did not see anything like that."

It was Nene's turn to look around to make sure no one was listening. "It is something that you are more likely to catch if you look at it from the outside in."

Mei's eyes widened slightly. "Wow. Senpai you're really great," she said.

"I was just lucky," Nene told her, deciding that Mei should not be trying to break into Genom's systems. "I was lucky and just sort of stumbled into it." That was a fairly large lie on her part.

Mei nodded. "So if I want to continue with the club's mandate I should do it from my own place right?"

"Where are you staying?"

"You don't know? I'm at one of the dormitory buildings on the outskirts of Shinjuku. I've got three roommates in the apartment suite. One's a senior, the other a junior and another freshman like me."

"And what sort of hook up do you have there?"

"Well, a Genom server of course," she said, then paused. "Oh, I see."

Nene nodded. "If you are going to keep up that sort of anti-social behaviour you are going to have to work out the hook up yourself."

"Hai Senpai," Mei said, nodding happily.

"What are you going to do next?" Nene asked, picking up her rice bowl.

"I don't know. I'm just going to look around. What about you."

"I think I'll go and price textbooks," Nene said before putting some of the rice into her mouth.

"That sounds like a good idea."

Nene might have sighed if not for the fact she was swallowing the rice. When was Mei going to recognise the value of men? She hoped it was soon.

* * *

**April 11th, Tuesday, 8:31am**

The plane had touched down in Narita a little after eight, one of the firsts of the day. It had not been a full flight so Priss and the others had been able to move quickly to passport control, and then down to claim their luggage.

Norio had spent some extra time in customs as he had brought several bottles of whisky with him and he had to pay duty on some of them.

Finally all four of them stood in the arrival area, off to the side.

"What do we do now?" Takeshi asked.

"Get some rest," Priss told him. "I'll get in touch with Kano-san and see about getting us booked back at the Hard Rock. I figure I'll shoot for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday."

Yuuko yawned. "Good, I could use the rest."

"Maybe we'll be able to go bigger than the Hard Rock soon," Norio said as he rearranged the whisky bottles in his carryon bag.

"Maybe," Priss said. "But I think we'll be playing in places just like it for a time if we tour."

"No fifty thousand seat stadiums for us?" Yuuko asked.

"Give me a little time," Priss told her, smiling. She reached down to grasp her duffel bag. "I'll talk to you soon." She hefted the bag up and put the carrying strap over her shoulder. "Later," she said as she picked up her guitar case. She then turned and walked off.

The other three gathered up their things and went off in separate directions.

* * *

When Priss got back to her place she found a note taped to the door to her living space. She tore it free and opened it up. It was from Minako Shimizu, thanking Priss for letting her and her band have the time in the recording studio.

Priss folded the paper up and shoved it into her pocket and then removed her keys. She deactivated the alarm system first, then unlocked the door. Things were as she had left them, not that Priss had expected otherwise. She tossed her duffel bag up onto the floor, then placed her guitar case down before removing her shoes. She stepped up out of the genkan, slid her feet into a pair of slippers and then walked to her kitchen.

Inside her fridge she found a can of milk coffee. Just what she needed, Priss thought, taking the can out and opening it. She gulped the coffee down then tossed the empty can into the sink. She wanted to take a shower and then get a few hours sleep, but first she had to check messages, look into a few things and make sure there was nothing pressing she had to take care of.

She hated having to be responsible.

* * *

Sylia watched as the cars passed below, she zoomed in on one of the cars, one of the new '34 Mazda full sized sedans. She was thinking of purchasing one for herself. The lines on the car pleased her, and the engine was designed to power a large number of peripheral devices. It would make a very nice platform for a surveillance and communication vehicle.

Something moved into her field of vision, blocking her view.

Sylia looked up at Fargo who stood just in front of the telescope she was using.

"Good afternoon," he said.

"The Tokyo Tower?" Sylia asked.

"I like it," he told her, looking about the observation deck. "It offers a nice view of the city and it looks just like the Eiffel Tower."

Sylia released her hold on the telescope. "What did you call me here for?"

"I have some information that might interest you," he said as he leaned back against the window. "Someone has put out some feelers, whoever he, she or they are, they are offering a lot of money."

"For what?"

Fargo made sure that the trembler in his jacket pocket was up against the glass then removed a white noise generator from his pocket. "Assassination," he said after he had activated the device.

"I don't do that."

"I know." He nodded. "No one has come to me directly yet, and if they had I wouldn't bring this to you, but for now its is just gossip you might be interested in."

Sylia nodded. Fargo had his own code of morals that he would not break. "It involves Genom I assume."

"They want one of the Executives killed, and if possible some general monkey-wrenching."

"Who is the executive?"

"Her name is Odotte. She's a fairly recent player in the games. Seems to be doing a very good job. Probably why someone wants her killed."

"Can you keep me informed about this?"

Fargo nodded. "You're hiring me, right?"

"If that is what it takes."

Fargo nodded as he turned the white noise generator off and returned it to his pocket. "Sayonara," he said as he pushed himself off the glass and began walking away.

Sylia remained where she was, looking out the windows, over the city. Attacking Genom directly was a dangerous move; the MegaCorp dealt with such things harshly. Or maybe it was a desperate move? She was going to have to watch things closely.

* * *

**April 11th, Tuesday, 4:36am, Canada, Near Lake Nipissing**

The hunting lodge was located in the woods of Northern Ontario, its nearest neighbour more than an hour away on muddy roads covered in patches of snow and ice. On the lodge's cleared driveway were several cars, most covered by the previous night's snow. One, a large jeep, was not.

Walking the perimeter were several men and women in heavy coats.

Inside, Yoshito and Robert sat on a couch, across from the woman who had called them there. Michelle Danielson. She had altered her look somewhat since New York. Her bald head was marked with a dragon tattoo that circled her skull, the dragon's head was drawn on her right cheek, just below her eye. There were other tattoos, and well as body piercings, but they were hidden by the catsuit she wore.

Yoshito had not changed much since the job in MegaTokyo but Robert had lost his right arm during a mission in Laos. The prosthetic was obvious; in fact, Robert rolled his sleeves up whenever he could just to show it off.

There were three other people in the room, two of them obvious bodyguards, one a young, pretty woman. Yoshito ignored them. Robert did not.

"I don't trust you," Yoshito told the woman across from him.

"I don't blame you," Michelle told him. "But while your former employer and I were associates, I don't work like him." She took a sip of an amber liquid in a tumbler, watching Yoshito over the rim of the glass.

"So you say."

"What can I do to assure you?"

"I want everything spelled out in advance. I want it known that if anything changes, anything at all. If I don't like it I scrub and you only get half the fee refunded."

"Quite the set of demands." She looked at him icily.

"You don't like it, go somewhere else." Yoshito leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I would if I thought anyone else had a chance."

"We're not so great."

"This mission plays more on your strong points."

"Give me the straight story, exactly what is going to happen."

"There is an arms shipment leaving from Los Angeles in eight days. It is all being shipped by rail. The guard is fairly light. Secrecy is their primary defence. I want your team to steal it."

"Eight days is short notice."

"We only recently found out about this ourselves."

"How light is this guard?"

"About fifty men, special forces."

"Holy shit," Robert said. He turned to look over at one of the bodyguards. "How much does your job pay? Any openings?"

The woman he addressed said nothing.

"Shut up Robert," Yoshito said. "Fifty Special Forces? That's possible, but costly. What else?"

"About twenty other people of no consequence."

"What are the arms it is carrying?"

"I don't see how that is any of your concern."

"Good bye Mrs. Danielson," he said as he got to his feet.

"I'll provide you with a list of what is being shipped," she said quickly.

Robert turned to look at her. There were small signs of stress on her face. She was wound tight, a little desperate, or maybe a lot and just very good at hiding it.

"Now."

She sighed. "Just a moment then. Randal, please get the file from Edward."

One of the bodyguards nodded and left to room.

Yoshito took his seat again. "How much?"

"Your standard fee is ten million is it not?"

"Yes."

"Then I think we have a price."

He nodded and then after a moment said, "Forty million."

Michelle lost her composure as she stared at him, trying to find words. For a few seconds all she could manage were several upset sounds. "Ridiculous," she finally got out.

"I don't like you Mrs. Danielson. I don't like the way that you and your associates do business. I don't like the fact that one of my people was left, hung out to dry. I want forty because that is what it will take for me to work with someone I don't like. Accept it or I go."

"I'll go as high as twenty."

"And I want forty."

"Twenty five."

"Forty five."

"What?"

"This haggling is pissing me off."

Michelle let out a deep breath as she forced herself to relax. "All right, forty million."

"Agreed, if I choose to take the mission after I see what we are after."

"You are treading on dangerous ground," she warned, leaning forward slightly. With her lens, covered eyes and the tattoo on her head she looked rather menacing.

Yoshito only smiled.

After several minutes Randal returned with a file which he gave to Michelle. Michelle passed it to Yoshito. Yoshito opened it up and began to flip through the pages.

"I see," he said, putting the file down. "This is within our abilities to do."

"Good," Michelle smiled.

"Then let's conclude this," Yoshito said. He moved forward suddenly, grabbing Michelle, putting his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming out. Her bodyguards and the young woman went for their weapons.

There were several soft sounds, like a cough. Randal went over, two holes in his forehead. Robert shifted his aim and took out the woman. The small .22 in his arm was the perfect assassin's weapon. He shifted his aim to the young woman who had moved very quickly, already her pistol was out, but Robert was just a little faster. He hit her with a tight grouping of .22 rounds, keeping up his fire, just in case.

He had been warned that the woman was a boomer and could be a threat.

"Clear," Robert said a moment later, once he was sure that Cassandra was going to stay down. He was smiling. Yoshito looked at him for a moment, a little worried about the man.

"Okay, call in Lenore and let's get this place cleaned up and the job done." He looked down at Michelle. "I am sorry Mrs. Danielson, I am currently employed by another party and as such cannot take your job offer. I do apologise."

Michelle tried to scream, tried to struggle free, but Yoshito held her down.

* * *

The lodge was burning, a hot, intense fire, helped along by some incendiary devices. Yoshito was not interested in subtlety. He did not care that it would not appear to be an accident. That was unimportant.

He looked over at Michelle, bundled tightly up, under the loving care of their doctor. That woman would not be dying on him; she was worth too much alive. Everyone else who had been with her, except the 33-S, was burning. Their bodies were adding fuel to the fire. They'd need dental records to ID the bodies when it was all done.

The 33-S was lying on the ground, legs folded up over chest, bound up in cargo straps. The boomer was very much deactivated, Robert had put three 9mm rounds into its head, just to be sure. Yoshito had thought it somewhat excessive, but everything about Robert had become excessive since Laos.

He looked at the lodge, closing his eyes slightly against the light of the blaze. Genom had arranged for a body to take Michelle's place, and had assured him that dental and other records had been altered to ensure that it would be identified as Michelle Danielson. It ensured that her associates thought her dead.

That was what Genom had wanted.

"Okay Robert, let's get the hell out of here," he said, turning his back on the fire. "Load that up," he said to one of his other men, pointing at the 33-S lying on the ground. It was time to go.

* * *

**April 11th, Tuesday, 9:11pm, MegaTokyo**

Katherine stood in front of Quincy's desk, waiting as he read through the file she had brought to him. Yoshito had sent her the information as soon as he finished things up. Michelle Danielson was on her way to the Tower right now, under a suicide watch. Putting the mercenary company on retainer had been expensive, but ultimately beneficial.

"Show this to Odotte-kun," he told her as he dropped the file onto his desk. "Then tell her to come and see me. After that, ensure that Danielson-san is brought here safely without any incidents."

"Shall I arrange her interrogation?"

"No."

"Hai, I understand."

Quincy turned his back to her, shifting the chair around so he could look out at the city. Katherine took that as dismissal and retrieved the file. She bowed before walking to the doors and bowed again before she left.

Quincy looked out over the city, his city. He had watched, with some interest, as these people played their game. He had given them time to show if they could be useful: Outside threats could be of benefit to Genom. These people had moved to the point where the threat they represented far outweighed any benefit they might bring. It was time they were destroyedcompletely.

* * *

Domino was working in her office. Such late hours had become something standard for her over the last few weeks. There was so much work to do, both relating to Corporate Acquisitions and the recent threats that Genom was facing. She also spent more time in the Tower because there was a contract out on her.

She looked up at a knock on her door, her hand touching a small security panel on her desk. The liquid crystal screen on the wall near the door came on, showing her Katherine Madigan standing outside her door. "Come in," she called, at the same time shutting off the screen.

Katherine pushed open the door and entered the office.

"Good evening," Domino said, standing. She gave Katherine a slight bow.

"Good evening," Katherine said, returning the bow. "Quincy-shachou asked me to give you this," she told Domino, holding the file out to her.

Domino reached out for the file and took it from Katherine.

"The Chairman also wants to see you."

Domino nodded. "Thank you," Domino said.

"Don't mention." Katherine shook her head. "Excuse me." She bowed slightly once again then turned towards the door.

"Later," Domino said.

Katherine left the office, closing the door behind her.

Domino opened the file and looked through its contents. After several seconds she flipped it closed, her hands shaking slightly. Then the tremor was gone, overridden, almost instantly, almost as if it never was. She left her office, moving as quickly as she could and yet still appearing dignified.

It was not easy.

* * *

Quincy left Domino standing in front of his desk for several minutes. He said nothing to her as he stared out the windows, looking at the city. She stood perfectly still, hands clasped in front of her, holding the file.

"I want them destroyed, utterly," he said. He did not turn to face her.

"They will be."

"Handle the interrogation of the Danielson woman yourself. I'm sure that you and Madigan-kun have things well in hand, but be certain of this. No mistakes."

"Hai."

He said nothing more and Domino took that as a dismissal. She wondered what to do about the file and decided to take it with her. She bowed deeply and then turned walking towards the doors. Before leaving she bowed once again. "Excuse me," she said softly.

Quincy smiled slightly once she had gone. Both Odotte and Madigan had represented huge investments in their own way. Both were paying handsome dividends, in their own way. While they worked together he had little doubt that they would serve Genom well.

Both wanted his seat, but both were willing to wait. Madigan's loyalty to Genom and himself knew no bounds. She wanted his seat to better serve the company.

Odotte wanted power as a prize, something to strive towards. Still, if she got it, she would work hard to keep it and that would mean protecting Genom. Her loyalty was not as boundless as Madigan's, but he trusted her enough.

* * *

**April 12th, Wednesday, 8:57am**

Domino looked at her watch. She did not need to, her own system kept perfect time, loosing at most a millionth of a second every month or so. Looking at her watch was all part of the illusion she maintained.

"How long has she been in there now?" Domino asked the guard.

"A little over six hours," the man said.

"Anything of note?

He shook his head.

She nodded and then walked to the cell door, pulling it open. She stepped in then closed the door behind her. She was almost certain she could smell the fear in the room as she placed her briefcase on a low table by the door. Then she turned and walked into the centre of the room. Michelle Danielson was lying on a low couch, restraints holding her securely, though comfortably, in place.

Michelle was almost naked; the tattoos that covered her body easy the see. The nipple, navel and other rings had been removed from her body. The lenses had been taken from over her eyes, revealing the cameras in her sockets. She looked rather pitiful like that.

"I don't want to waste any time Miss Danielson," Domino said in her slightly accented Englishnot that she could not remove that accent if she chose. "Tell me what I want to know."

Michelle said nothing.

Domino smiled and walked over to the woman, kneeling beside the couch.

"Cassandra is dead, I suppose you know that though," she said softly. "I'm sorry about that. You will miss her I think." Domino placed her hand on Michelle's abdomen.

Michelle started breathing a little faster.

"What was he like?" Domino asked.

"Who?" Michelle asked in spite of herself.

"Largo. What was he like? Did he tell you he loved you?"

Michelle turned her head away from Domino, staring at the wall.

"He did. He told you that. He brushed the hair from your eyes, like this." Domino moved her hand as if brushing a lock of hair out of the way. "He told you that your eyes were beautiful." She smiled cruelly at that.

"How do you know?" Michelle turned her head to stare at Domino, the cameras in her head whirring quietly as they readjusted the focus. "How do you know that?"

Domino smiled. "I know everything. I'll know when you lie and I'll hurt you in ways you never believe you could be hurt. I'm worse than Largo could ever hope to be," Domino told her and smiled when Michelle began to cry. It was interesting to watch as her tear ducts had been sealed when her eyes had been replaced. All the other signs were there, but no tears.

Domino thought that was rather interesting as she herself could produce tears, when she needed to.

"Shall we begin?" Domino asked as she put a hand on Michelle's forehead.

* * *

It was sometime later when Domino finished with Michelle. The woman lay on the couch, no longer restrained, and sobbed her tearless sobs. Domino stood near the door, just watching.

She had, as she had promised, hurt Michelle in ways that the woman could have never envisioned. Domino had found the fractures in Michelle's psyche, had worked her way into them, and then had opened then even more. Like water working its way into stone and then freezing, Domino had broken her.

She watched for a time, almost feeling sorry for the woman. Dominoor had it been Mason?had read once that the strong had no need to be cruel. She had not wanted to hurt Michelle, but she really had not had much of a choice. And Michelle, willing or not, had come to this place by her own actions.

If she had not had her emotions under tight control Domino might not have been able to do what she had done. Then again, she might have.

Given time Michelle might be treated, made whole again, but that was not really an option. Domino opened the briefcase she brought with her and removed a slim, leather case. Opening it revealed a syringe and a vial of liquid.

She filled the syringe from the vial. The clear liquid was the same mixture of opiates and poisons she had had used on Terrence Lecoix. A moment of exquisite pleasure before a painless death. It could almost be looked upon as being kind.

Domino did not look at it that way. Dead was dead, and there was little kindness in killing someone. It was simply the most expedient way to deal with the problem.

Michelle let out a pained whimper as the needle slid into her thigh, into one of the big veins there. Domino pushed the plunger down, pumping the poison into the woman. Then she pulled the needle free and stepped back.

A few seconds later Michelle's body completely relaxed, and smile began to form on her face even as she died. The real Odotte's parents had been avenged, Domino thought, though it was a very far off thought. What she had done to Michelle had nothing to do with them.

Domino packed the needled away and then closed her briefcase. She still had other work to do.

* * *

The body of Cassandra, 33-S unit AD11A, was something of a mess. Either someone did not like boomers, or they had wanted to make sure that this one stayed down. Domino sighed as she examined the damaged sexaroid laid out on the stainless steel table.

A number of small rounds had hit her in the abdomen and chest, damaging important relays and motive systems. While the damage had been extensive, it would have been repairable. The problem was someone had administered a coup-de-grace with three rounds to the head.

That was not so easily repairable, and even if it could be there would be complete personality loss and partial memory loss.

Not much use in putting the resources towards making such repairs.

Domino placed a laptop computer near AD11A's head. She then produced scalpel that she used to carve away the flesh at the back of the neck until she had uncovered one of the interface ports. The scalpel went into a jar full of cleaning solution, the blood on it adding a pink tinge to the previously clear liquid.

She slid one end of an interface cable into AD11A's neck jack and plugged the other into the laptop. She took a shorter cable and plugged that into the laptop as well. The free end she slid into a small slit in her right wristafter looking about to make sure no one was watchingconnecting herself to AD11A's mind/brain system, buffered by the laptop. Even with the buffering it was something of a disturbing experience.

As she had expected she encountered a confusing mess of data, most of it too scrambled to be recognised. She started cataloguing and storing the recognisable chunks first, then, like a jigsaw puzzle, began fitting the fragments into the whole.

She did not try to get it all, just those parts that might contain information that she needed. Most of it was not important to the current situation-though she suspected that it had been important to Cassandra.

After about an hour she was finished. She unplugged all the leads and then set the laptop aside. For a few seconds she stared down at the Sexaroid, feeling some empathy towards her. It was not impossible that Domino herself might have ended up like that.

She picked up the chart lying nearby and wrote down her disposal orders. The unit was to be cremated and the ashes interred at the Genom grave site on Mount Kouya. In a way Cassandra might be considered a Genom employee, and she had just provided a service of value to the company. The least she had earned was to be treated with some respect in the last.

Domino dropped the chart to the table and then picked up her laptop.

They were close to being able to move decisively. She just needed a little more information.

* * *

Leon was not quite sure about what he was about to do, but as it was he had run out of leads. He was fairly certain that she would not take it well. He pushed open the door and entered the factory. He been there before, to pick up Yuuko, but he had never stayed long.

He saw Priss, the hood of her car open, working on something.

"Hey, Priss-san," he called.

Priss looked over her shoulder. "Leon? What are you doing here?"

Leon walked towards her. "I need to talk to you."

"Yeah? About what?" She put the wrench she was using down and stepped back from the car.

"About what happened on the 25th of last month."

"What about it?" Priss asked.

"Something weird went down at Genom that night, involving the particle beam satellites, an American named Douglas Meren, and the Knight Sabers. After finding dead ends at the end of all my other leads I'm left with the Knight Sabers."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, you are..." he began.

Priss hit him, hard, in the stomach. She thought it was a little like punching a wall, but it had some effect. "I am interested in the Knight Sabers because I respect them and the fact they can get the job done? That is what you were going to say, wasn't it Leon?" she asked softly as she held him up.

Leon took a few seconds to catch his breathdamn she could hit hard. "Something like that," he said.

"Good. Anything else, well, that might be dangerous. Do you understand me Leon?"

Leon nodded. "I understand. As a fan of the Knight Sabers do you have any ideas?" He straightened up and stepped back from Priss.

Priss shook her head. "There is nothing I can tell you."

Leon looked at her for a few seconds then nodded. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"Don't mention it," Priss told him, turning back to the car.

Leon sighed as he turned and started towards the door. He wondered if Priss did not know anything that could help him, or just would not tell him.

* * *

"Almost finished," Mackie said as he reached inside the Tornado to make the last connection. Getting the new leg onto Linna's motoslave had been the most difficult part of the final repairs he had to make-the unit had been moved out of Raven's garage and back to LADYS633 that morning.

Sylia looked over the unit. "Good. We'll unpack the ammunition next and make sure that it is all right."

"So that is it?" Mackie asked.

Sylia nodded. "All the hardsuits and motoslaves are in perfect condition, ready to go when needed."

Mackie stood, his work finished, and stretched. "It's about time. I think I'll go out tonight and have some fun."

"I understand," Sylia said with a slight smile on her face. "Come on, let's go take a look at the ammunition."

The Knight Sabers did not need a lot of ammunition. The weapons on Sylia's, Linna's and Nene's hardsuits were contact weapons, or energy. The charges for Priss' and Linna's knucklebombers were prepared by Sylia. Priss' railgun spikes were crafted by Dr. Raven. It was the weapons of the motoslaves that required Sylia to acquire ammunition.

Because her sources were rather shady, she had to be careful about the quality. To that end she and Mackie used scanners to check each round. Tedious work certainly, but very important. A misfire or a jam caused by faulty ammunition could be fatal for her small group.

Finally she and Mackie finished their work and packed all the ammunition away into the weapons vault.

Mackie went to get cleaned up before going out for an evening on the town. Sylia remained in the workshop for a time to finish up some work of her own. She was still reviewing the battle logs from the fights with the Flecks boomers, trying to decide how best to fight such a large unit. The unfortunate conclusion was that there was no easy way. She would simply have to use the same tactics and hoped luck held out.

With luck she would never have to face such units again.

Sylia finished her work off and shut everything down, making certain the various vaults were locked up and the security systems were active. The elevator took her up to her penthouse. Mackie was already gone by then. Sylia went to her room, undressed, and then walked into her bathroom.

She took a long, hot bath, the water scented with bath oils. Later, wrapped in a soft robe, a glass of red wine at her elbow, the lighting soft, she sat in her room, listening to music as she looked over various reports. Even when she tried to relax she was still taking care of business, but there was so much business to take care of.

Financially she was fine, on all fronts. Genom's generous payment for the jobs on the twenty-fifth of March meant the Knight Sabers had no financial problems. The rest of Sylia's financial empire was also doing well.

She also reviewed the recent actions of her new lawyer, Mika Takahashi. Mika was shrewd, and smart, and just maybe very loyal. More loyal than Shuji had been? She was not certain, but she suspected that Mika was looking for someone to be loyal to, someone to use her impressive skills for.

If that were so then she would be of great value to Sylia. She was going to make sure of that before she gave too much trust to the young woman, however.

There were other things, reports about Genom, reports about other companies and countries and people. All of it part of a picture that Sylia was trying to put together.

She took a sip of her wine. She just needed a little more information.

* * *

Priss had called Miako before she had ridden over to her place-she felt that her wounds had healed enough and she could be back on her bike. The door to the photographer's apartment was opened almost as soon as she knocked.

"Priss," Miako said warmly. "Come in."

Priss passed through the door and then kicked her riding boots off before stepping up, out of the genkan. "Been a while," she said.

Miako smiled. "We've both been busy. So," she said as she turned about and walked towards her studio, "how was the recording?"

"Tiring," Priss told her. She walked into the studio and looked around. The collage was near completion, though a large number of photos still covered the table.

"And other than tiring?" Miako asked as she took a seat by the table.

Priss sat across from her and looked the photos in front of her over. A large number had already been cut up, material for the collage, but a few were still whole. She picked up one showing a few ADP officers standing over the form of a downed boomer. "It went well," she told Miako and then put the photo back on the table.

"Details, give me details."

Priss smiled slightly as she gave Miako the full story, from her arrival in Scotland, to her meeting with Gordon, and to all the work they had done. Miako sat there and listened, asking a few questions every now and again when something interested her.

"Now I am waiting to see what will happen," Priss finished.

"Sounds like you enjoyed yourself."

"I did. It was nice to work with professionals, people who know how to make things work."

"Sounds like you really liked this Gordon-san."

"I did."

"Sleep with him?"

"No," Priss told her, no anger in her voice.

"Did you want to?" Miako pressed, smiling as she asked.

Priss shook her head. "I was happy enough to work with him." She paused. "And he was a little old."

Miako laughed at that. "You are wonderfully shallow at times."

Priss looked at her for a few seconds without saying anything. "Maybe we all are."

"I know I am. Want to see something?"

"What?"

"Come on," Miako said, getting to her feet.

Priss got up and followed Miako to her bedroom. Miako stepped aside at the door so Priss could look in.

Lying on Miako's bed, their arms and legs tangled up in the bedcovers, were a young man and woman. They looked like they were asleep. She looked questioningly at Miako.

"Met them last night," she told Priss. "Americans, college students, came to Japan to expand their horizons or some such crap. I invited them over here because they looked so wonderfully innocent."

"What did you do to them?"

"It is what they did to themselves. They happily took advantage of the free drugs." She laughed softly. "I'm trying to decide what to do with them."

"What to do with them?"

"Well, I've got some pictures already. I was thinking of putting them up on the net. I also have a bag full of S&M gear somewhere around. Want to hurt them?"

Priss was a little surprised by the question, bit not terribly shocked. She had hurt people before, just because she wanted to. She thought back to that night at Club 666 and the fight. Of course then she had reason, but Ritsuko had suggested otherwise.

She looked at the two lovers, she assumed they were lovers, and wondered if they had ever felt any real pain.

"No," she said after a moment.

"No?"

"Like you said, wonderfully innocent. Why should we destroy that?"

"Why shouldn't we?"

"Because there is already enough cruelty in this city without us adding to it."

"You got me there." She pushed by Priss, walking back towards her studio.

Priss looked at the two for a moment then turned and walked the way that Miako had gone. Miako was waiting for her at the studio. "Do you believe what you said?" she asked.

"That there is enough cruelty in this city as it is? Yes."

"And yet you were thinking about it, about hurting those two."

"So?"

"I just want you to be aware of that." Miako smiled broadly then took a seat at the table. She lay one of the photos on a clear area and began cutting a part out.

"Why do you do this?"

"Do what?" She did not look up from her work.

"Play these games. What is the point?"

Miako said nothing for a time. She finished cutting up the photo and then reached for anther. "You have to understand the human condition before you can represent in your art."

"So you push things to get it amplified," Priss said.

"Something like that."

"That is twisted."

Miako looked up from her work. "I know. When you get right down to it the world is twisted. I did not make the rules, but I'll play by them. You know that as well as I do."

"It doesn't mean I have to like the rules."

"Don't give me that Priss. You are willing to hurt people just because you want to. Maybe you aren't so flagrant about it as I, but you still do it. We both see the truth, have learned things most people won't learn."

"Maybe we just see the truth we want to. Anything to justify the fact that we go around fucking things up."

"Please Priss, don't get all moral on me. We survived where other people have died, that means we were right in what we did. Don't get all weepy about that."

"I'm going," Priss told her.

"Don't you want to stay to make sure I don't hurt the innocents?"

"I can't save everyone." Priss began to walk towards the door.

"And if they can't protect themselves they deserve to be hurt, right?"

Priss stopped where she was and stood still for several seconds. "Something like that," she finally said as she started walking again.

Miako laughed softly behind her.

* * *

**April 12th, Wednesday, 9:36am, New York City**

Shoji kicked the door in as he ran down the stairs into the tunnels where the power cables, water pipes and phone lines were located. He might even be able to get into the sewers or the subway. He had options for his escape and that was all that mattered.

He looked up and down the long tunnel, listening.

He did not know the city well, he was new to it, spoke the language poorly, and had few options open to him. His new employers had told him to keep quiet and wait, to avoid contact with anyone who might know him.

He had not heard anything important from any of them in over a week. Not since he had finished telling Alice Myers most of what he knew. He was not certain if he would hear from them. It was possible he had been cut free.

Now he was being chased by a team that screamed Genom and he had no friends.

He turned and ran down the south branch of the tunnel.

A few minutes later he was trying to kick a grating free. Beyond the grating were the subway tunnels. In those tunnels he was certain he could lose his pursuers He was so close, once in there he was sure he could hide and get free.

Something hit him from behind, slamming him against the grating. The grating buckled as he hit it and broke free. Both he and his attacker fell two meters onto the cement ledge next to the tracks.

Shoji twisted and rolled off the ledge, taking his attacker with him, landing on the tracks, on top of the person. He broke free of the hold and slammed his fist down into the man's face, once, twice, then a third time. After the last blow the man went limp. He grabbed the man's head in his hands and began to slam it down on the tracks. He stopped only after the pounding was replaced by a wet, pulpy sound. It had been a vicious assault, fuelled by his fear.

Shoji got to his feet, shaking his hand that he thought might be broken. There were other pains, but the adrenaline in his system was acting like a painkiller. The limp form of his assailant lay there, most certainly dead. It was too dark to see much other than that he was male, probably Japanese, and almost certainly from Genom. Shoji was glad it had not been a boomer.

At the sound of an approaching train, he pulled the body from the tracks and shoved it under the ledge where he hoped it would not be found. He jumped up onto the ledge a few seconds before the train passed.

The tunnel was suddenly full of sound and the lights from the cars. When it was gone he relaxed, leaning up against the wall, letting out a breath. He still had to get clear, out of the city. He would have to meet up with the people he was working for, force the meeting. He was not going to stay out in the open any longer. He would not let them cut him free.

He pushed himself away from the wall then stopped as he felt something around his throat. Before he could do anything the metal whip tightened, digging into the flesh of his neck. He was pulled up and back into the tunnels he had so recently left.

For a moment he could not breathe, his vision was going blurry around the edges, then the constricting loop around his neck was loosened and he sucked in a deep, ragged breath.

A large man stood over him, holding the whip. Shoji tried to kick, to punch, but he was still light headed from the attack and his blows were ineffective. The man pulled him to his feet and, using the metal whip, bound his hands behind his back. He forced Shoji to his knees, looped the whip around his neck then down around his ankles. If Shoji tried to get to his feet he would strangle himself.

Once he finished binding Shoji the man quickly searched him, removing a pistol and several knives. He tossed the weapons over his shoulder, into the subway tunnel.

"I hope you aren't too uncomfortable Manabe-san," a woman said from somewhere in front of him.

"Who?"

"Who I am is not very important," she said, moving closer. He could make out little more than her height and build. There was something else; something subtle that he could not put his finger on, some thing that was frightening at the same time it was desirable. "What is important is what you can tell me."

"I don't know what you are talking about," he said.

The woman knelt down in front of him. She took something from her pocket. A moment later there was light in the tunnel. A faint light, but it let him see the woman in front of him clearly.

She was a young woman with long brown hair, blue eyes and a very beautiful face.

"I'm McErie Rei. You can call me Rei," she told him.

"I'm..."

"I know who you are Manabe-san, and that is not important either. I want you to tell me where I can find Alice Myers," she said.

Rei had been tracking down people for Domino for a few weeks now. She had given her loyalty completely to her sister, her loyalty and her love. She had known a lot to begin with, Douglas had given her that. Since then she had built on her knowledge. She knew enough to ask the right questions and to know if she was being lied to. It gave her quite an edge.

"I don't know any Alice," Shoji said. He was breathing heavily, obviously afraid.

"Lars, break a finger," Rei said calmly.

The big man behind Shoji grabbed one of his fingers and snapped it back.

Shoji screamed and would have fallen but for Lars holding him up.

"Alice Myers, I suspect you are angry at her, seeing as she left you here. Now, she was in New York several days ago. Where is she now?"

Shoji stared at the woman, fear making his heart thump in his chest and leaving him disorientated. She seemed to know all the answers. He wondered if he could lie to her.

"Switzerland," he said after a moment.

"I see. Lars, break another finger."

Again Shoji could do nothing to stop the man or the pain. He was crying when Rei spoke again.

"Where is she?"

"Dublin," he said, forcing the tears back.

"Good, not so hard to tell the truth now is it?" She smiled at him as she put a soft hand on his cheek. "Now, let's have a long talk and every time you lie to me, and I will know, Lars will break a bone. You have six fingers and two thumbs left. If you are wise you will not go beyond them. Do you understand?" She shifted her hand up to brush the hair from his forehead. Her touch was gentle and it reminded him of Maiko. "Really Manabe-san, what do you owe these people? They have abandoned you."

Shoji's head dropped forward then snapped back up as the metal whip began to strangle him. He coughed several times. He closed his eyes against the tears as he began to talk.

Twice he tried to lie and both times, as she had promised, she knew and Lars broke two more fingers.

By the time he was done he felt wasted, all his energy gone.

"Okay, free him," Rei told Lars.

Lars unwound the metal whip from him, then coiled it up into a loop and put it in his jacket. Shoji fell to lie on the floor.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Rei told him. Lars nodded and walked down the tunnel. Rei knelt down and coaxed Shoji to his feet, helping him stand. "I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"Domino asked me to tell you to say hello to your wife."

"What?"

"Well, actually she didn't tell me to say that. She just wanted me to say goodbye for her, but I thought this was a little more dramatic."

"I don't understand."

"Goodbye Manabe-san," she said, pushing him as hard as she could.

Shoji snapped backwards and fell down onto the tracks, hitting the current carrying rail. There was a snap of electricity and a smell of burning. Rei moved to look down on the tracks. She did not leave until she saw him hit by a passing train.

Make sure they are dead, she had been told. Do not take a chance.

She was sure he was dead so she left.

The information he had given her was quite valuable. She was certain that Domino would be able to make use of it.

* * *

**April 13th, Thursday, 12:09am, MegaTokyo**

"Are you ready to go?" Domino asked Rei.

"My team and I are standing by." Rei was still in New York.

"I want you to make your way to Dublin and pick up Myers-san."

"Hai," Rei replied over the satellite link.

"Good. When things start they will move fast. Make sure you are ready.

"I will."

"Good. I will talk to you later," she said, then cut the connection. More pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place. A day or two more and she would be ready to present her report to Quincy.

After that, as she had told Rei, things would begin to move quickly.

* * *

Domino stared at Rei's image on the screenit had been several hours since they had last spoken. Every few seconds lines of interference would appear on the screen. It was a by-product of the scrambler and the satellite link.

"You found her?"

"Yes, but she managed to get away," Rei said hesitantly.

"Why?"

"Our advanced team made a mistake and tripped an alarm."

"Do you know where she went?"

"No."

"You do have prisoners?"

"Yes Domino-sama, including Nancy."

"Handle her questioning yourself, then bring her back to the Tower."

"I will Domino-sama."

"Have you broken into their communication net yet?"

"Just a few minutes ago. I don't expect we will have it for long, I'm sure Myers-san will soon inform the others."

"Get as much from it as you can," Domino said as she cut the link.

Alice Myers escaping was a set back. Domino had hoped to finally capture one of the main people, alive. Still, Nancy would likely provide her with some useful information.

The net was being drawn tighter and tighter every day, but every day saw a greater chance that their quarry might escape. They were dealing with very precise timings in this operation. They could not afford to wait too long, but could not afford to move to quickly either. It was a difficult task.

She turned in her chair and looked over at a notewritten in cipher, Haruko's handwriting. If things went well they might close down another part of the network. If they were lucky they might yet get one of the main people in for questioning.

* * *

**April 13th, Thursday, 11:16pm, London, England**

Alice Myers once had tried to unwind the secrets of the DNA code. That had all ended the day she had met 'him' in a bar in the very city she was in. She had just been taking some time off, relaxing, recharging the batteries, as she liked to put it. And there he had been with his blue grey hair and those gold eyes and a face that could have graced an angel.

She had fallen straight into his arms, willing to give him anything.

He had taken everything, and more. Those beautiful fingers, burning into her brain, giving her everything she needed to be his slave.

From that point on she had been his pawn, unwilling at first, now just too tired to care. She did not care if she lived or died. No, that was not true. She really did not want to live. Not haunted by 'his' dreams, not trying to complete 'his' quest.

When he had died she had thought herself free. That had been foolish. There had still been Nancy. Pretty little Nancy, more his puppet than she had ever been-so she thought. There was also the anxiety that rose up when she did nothing, that drove her into action. She had once feared she would never be free. Now she gave into that fear, no longer trying to fight it.

The roads she walked on were wet, though the rain had stopped not so long ago. She was close to the bar where it had all started. A strange sense of nostalgia had made her pick the area as a meeting place. She could see the Genom London Tower from where she was. It was hard not to see that monster no matter where you were in the city. Still, she was very close. Ironic really, what with Genom hunting her.

She let herself fall back against the wall of a building and stared up at the Tower. A small part of her wanted to walk in the front doors and just turn herself in. A ridiculous thought. As bad as things were now they would be worse if she fell into their hands. She knew more about Genom than she had ever wanted to know.

A red Porsche pulled up to the curb near her. The passenger side, gull wing door swung open. She stumbled towards it, almost falling. She was so tired. Dropping into the seat she swung her legs into the car and reached up to pull the door shut.

"How are you?" Rafael Browning asked, not looking over at her.

"Tired. How bad is it?"

"Bad," he told her as he pulled out into the street. He headed to the right side of the street before correcting himself. He was not used to driving in England. "They closed down most of our operations in North America a few hours ago. Shoji was bait. They knew where he was and snapped him up when they needed him. We were wrong to give him as much information as we did."

"We took a chance," she said, looking over at Rafael.

He was a slim black man, his hair cut very short. His accent was Canadian, as was he. Once a member of the Canadian secret service, Largo had got him too. He had used one of the sexaroids to drag him in. All of Largo's slaves had shared their sad stories with each other. Who else could understand them?

"What are we going to do Raf?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Michelle's plan fell right though, but Kirk is setting up something just as big. We'll get it done and then it will be over," he told her.

"What?"

"We'll talk later."

"Why? Are you afraid the car is bugged." She laughed.

"It might be. I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm tired too."

"It will be over," she said quietly.

"Pardon?" He finally looked over at her.

"It will be over. Why can't I believe that?"

"Once we are done we can finally rest, and we won't have to die to get that rest," he said, turning his attention back to the road. He was holding the steering wheel so tight the leather covering creaked.

He was angry, she could tell that. He was also scared. She was scared too. Scared that he was wrong and scared that he might be right.

* * *

_"One should not think he can hire others and have them do everything, but rather he should be of the mind to rely on himself and to know the condition of things. Only then should he delegate to others"  
_-**Hojo Nagauji**


	38. No Armour Against Fate 5

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (5 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**April 14th, Friday, 12:32pm, MegaTokyo**

Quincy looked through the report that Domino and Madigan had presented to him. It answered the few questions he had had left.

Domino and Katherine stood in front of his desk, waiting.

"Madigan-kun, I want you to prepare a assassin team, make them the best you have."

"Hai," Katherine said.

"I also want you to set up a specialist team, new faces, no history."

"Hai," she said, wondering how she was going to get a team that could do whatever job Quincy would set for them and yet still be unknown.

He said nothing else. Katherine bowed and left the room.

He turned to look at Domino.

"What are their weaknesses?" He caught and held her gaze.

"I'm not sure," she said, hesitantly.

"Yes you are. I need to make them make mistakes. Who or what can do that? Who or what will make them stay when they should run?"

"Sylia Stingray," Domino said softly. She was certain that Quincy already knew the answer.

"Bring her in. I will handle the rest of the Knight Sabers."

Domino almost hid her surprise at Quincy's knowledge. "When?" she asked.

"When you choose. I'll deal with the others. I want Stingray-san in the Tower by tomorrow."

"She will be."

He said nothing more. Domino waited a moment to see if there was anything else. When it was obvious he was finished with her she bowed and then left the room.

Quincy waited until she was gone then picked up his phone and tapped one of the buttons. After a few seconds the call was answered.

"I need to tell you some things, and I need you to do something," he told the person on the other end of the line.

* * *

Nene's NAVI beeped while she was sitting in a large lecture hall, listening to an instructor explain how to write a proper paper. It was incredibly boring and Nene guessed that at least half the students were asleep. It was a pointless lecture as all the information was in the style guide that she and the other students had already been given.

She and the rest of them had to be in the lecture hall. They did not actually have to pay attention, however.

Nene pulled the NAVI from her pocket and flipped it open in front of her. "Romanova desu," she said softly.

"Romanova-san, I hope I am not disturbing you," Kumiko Yusa said as her face appeared on the NAVI's screen. Kumiko was Nene's advanced programming professor, and her academic advisor.

"Not really Yusa-sensei," Nene told her.

"Are you free today? I'd like to talk to you about your course of studies."

Nene looked at the small clock on the corner of her NAVI's screen. It was almost 2pm. The class was over at 2:30. "Will a quarter to three be all right?"

"That will be fine. I'll see you in my office."

"Hai," Nene said.

Kumiko nodded and then cut the connection.

Nene folded the NAVI shut and leaned back in her seat to listen to the rest of the boring lecture. She did not know what her advisor wanted to talk to her about, but she hoped that it was something that might get her out of several more boring lectures that she had in the next few days.

Maybe her advisor wanted some help in her lab. That would be something.

As she now had something to look forward to, the class seemed to drag on. She came close to joining the sleeping students around her, but managed to stay awake.

Once the lecture was over she got up, grabbed her knapsack and ran from the lecture hall before she got caught in the crowd. One out of the hall she slowed her pace. Yusa-sensei's office was not that far off.

At almost two forty-five exactly she was standing outside of Yusa-sensei's door. She knocked.

"Come in," she heard Kumiko call.

Nene opened the door and stepped in.

"Romanova-san, I'm glad you could make it."

Nene nodded as she stepped into the office, closing the door behind her.

"Have a seat," Kumiko said, indicating the chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you sensei," Nene said as she sat.

"I'm sure that you're curious about why I called you." Kumiko got up and walked to a filing cabinet on which there was an electric thermos and a tea service. She looked over at her shoulder at Nene.

Nene nodded.

"I've looked over your tests, and have seen your grades from school. They are quite impressive."

"Not really," Nene said, being properly humble.

Kumiko scooped some tea leaves into the wire strainer in the teapot. "You are very good, I suspect there are a few classes that we could write off for you thus allowing you to move on to some senior courses." She pumped the thermos top, hot water spilled from the spigot, splashing over the tea as it filled the pot.

"Do you think so?" Nene asked. Being able to skip some of the first year courses would be very nice, as she was sure that the majority would be boring.

"I think it is possible." She finished filling the small teapot and put it aside for a moment. "You'll have to write the exams for the courses you skip, of course. I think you will have no problem with that." She took two cups from a tray and placed them near the teapot. "It will be a little difficult in the senior courses."

"I can handle it," Nene said, wanting to assure the woman that she could.

"I think you can as well." She filled the two teacups and then carried them over to her desk. She handed one to Nene. "The question of course is do you really want to?"

"Of course I want to," Nene said as she took the cup.

"For yourself or to impress someone else?" she asked, then took a sip of her tea.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you want to move to a senior class because you feel it is best for you, or do you want to impress someone?"

Nene took a drink form her cup as she thought about it. "Well, I suppose that it would make my parents happy, but I am looking for a challenge. I don't want to be bored in the first year classes."

Kumiko nodded. "That is a good reason to go on then. I like to challenge students who are ready for it."

"I'm ready for it," Nene said, leaning forward.

"Yes, I think you are," she said.

Nene nodded as she took another drink of her tea. "When do you think that..." Nene began, then stopped as a wave of dizziness washed over her and the room spun. She blinked her eyes and moved her head back and forth, trying to clear it.

"Are you all right Romanova-san?" Kumiko asked.

"I must be," Nene paused, "tired."

Kumiko nodded. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Nene looked at her.

"This should not have happened, but there are times when we must remember who we truly are."

"I don't understand," Nene began to say, but the dizziness washed over her again, much stronger than last time, and behind it came darkness. Nene slumped down in the chair; the cup fell from her fingers, splashing on her skirt.

Kumiko was up almost instantly, moving to wipe the tea from Nene, hoping it had not burnt her. The door to her office opened while she was doing so. She looked up at the two men standing there. They both walked in then one closed the door behind them.

"I did not like having to do this. She is one of my students," she said crossly as she got to her feet.

"I understand that Yusa-hakase, but this is a special order. It comes right from the top."

"I'm aware of that," she said, angrily. "That does not mean I like it." She looked straight at the man who had spoken. "She better not be harmed."

"That is not our intent."

Kumiko nodded, then looked down at Nene. "I'm sorry Romanova-san. I'm truly sorry," she said.

* * *

Linna stood under the spray of shower, her face turned up into the hot water. It had been a hard day, but Linna had enjoyed it. She was getting better everyday, she was sure of it. She also felt she was close to mastering the 'control in chaos' thing that Kikuchi-sensei was so big about.

They would be opening next Friday, the twenty-first. The next few days of practising were going to be very hard, but Linna was looking forward to that.

She shut off the shower and then left the shower room. As she was pulling off the shower cap she had been wearing she grabbed a towel from a pile by the door. She patted herself dry with the towel, then wrapped the damp cloth around her chest before going to her locker.

As she was getting dressed her NAVI buzzed. Linna took it from her gym bag and flipped it open. After cutting her visual feed, she was still only partially dressed, she accepted the call. "Moshi, mo, Linna desu(This is Linna)," she said.

"Linna-san," Devon Okami said as his face flickered onto her screen. "I hope you are well."

Linna was a little surprised to be getting a call from Devon. She had felt both that she had made it clear the relationship was over and that Devon was not the kind to try to rekindle what they had had. "I am, and you?" she said, falling back on politeness.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, smiling. "Linna-san, I was wondering if you would be willing to talk to me, to meet."

"Well, I'm not sure. Why? I thought we both made everything clear when we said goodbye."

"Maybe we did not."

Linna was a little surprised by that. Was it possible that Devon had had a change of heart? She was not certain she could believe that. Still, was there any harm in meeting him? Perhaps there was a chance. "Where would you like to meet?"

"I'll be passing by the theatre in about twenty minutes. Is that good?"

"Yes, that will be fine," Linna told him.

"All right, I'll see you then." He cut the connection.

Linna folded her NAVI shut and returned it to her gym bag. She then reached into the bag for her makeup kit. If she was going to meet Devon she wanted to look her best.

* * *

Linna was waiting outside of the theatre when Devon's black limousine pulled up to the curb. She opened the door and got into the large passenger section. She had to admit that the luxury that went along with dating Devon had been quite enjoyable. It was brought back to her by the richly appointed interior.

She took a seat directly across from Devon as the car started to pull back out into traffic. "I'm glad that you called," Linna told him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm sorry," he said to her.

"Pardon?" Linna asked, a little confused.

"This was not my idea, but I had to agree it was for the best. I did not want you to get hurt, at least not physically."

Linna stared at him, confused by what he was saying. Then she began to feel a little scared. The limousine had stopped for a traffic light. She slid across the seat and grabbed the door handle, trying to open the door. When the door failed to open she went to check the other door with the same result.

She turned to look at Devon. "Let me out," she demanded.

"No," he told her.

Linna moved quickly, grabbing a hold of his jacket lapels. She looked straight into his eyes. "I told you to let me out."

"And if I don't?" he asked her simply. There was no fear in his eyes.

Linna pulled the lapels of the coat inwards, putting some pressure on his throat. "Let me out or I'll kill you," she said softly.

"If I am dead, that will not change the situation that you are locked inside this car, that you will be taken to the Tower. It just means you'll have to ride with a corpse." His tone was very matter of fact. He was simply telling her how things were.

Linna released him and moved to one of the windows and began banging her hands against it. She might as well have been hitting a sheet of steel for all the effect she had. She slammed her feet against the sunroof, she screamed, she tried a number of things to no avail. She was trapped.

Devon just watched her, at first straightening his jacket and tie, and then just sitting still.

When Linna finally gave up she returned to sitting directly across from him, staring angrily at the man who had betrayed her. "You are a bastard," she hissed.

"Yes, and much more," Devon replied calmly.

* * *

Sylia walked to the genkan. She stopped to look at the monitor that showed the hall outside her door.

A young, very attractive woman in jeans, sweater and a jacket stood out there. After a moment Sylia identified her. Domino Odotte, the woman Fargo had told her that someone wanted to assassinate. Seeing her standing there, dressed as she was, Sylia realised why she had thought the picture of the Genom executive had seemed so familiar. She had come into the Silky Doll a few months ago.

Sylia had thought her to be a high school student.

Why would Odotte be coming to see her? There was no reason anyone from Genom would be coming to see her, no official reason. Was it possible that she had come for personal reasons? Sylia was not sure what to do. There was the possibility that Genom had finally found out what she was doing. Perhaps Linna's relationship with Okami had led to what she had feared.

Domino looked straight at the hidden camera above her. "Stingray-sama, I would like to speak with you," she said. Her words were carried to Sylia over the microphone that was also hidden with the camera.

She knows I am here, Sylia thought, or maybe she was bluffing. Sylia considered heading down to the subbasements and getting her hardsuit.

"Stingray-sama, please, do not make this more complicated that it has to be," Domino said.

It did not sound like a threat, more of a request. If Genom was really coming after her with the intent of killing her, she was certain that they would not be so obvious as to send one of their executives. She took a 9mm pistol from a hidden compartment in the shoe shelf, put the weapon behind her back and then opened the door.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Stingray-sama, I'm Domino Odotte," the woman said, presenting Sylia with a visiting card. "Stingray-sama, Quincy-sama would like to see you."

That she remained where she was, made no sudden movements, or tried to shoot Domino, was something that Sylia felt quite proud of. "Quincy-sama?" she put uncertainty in her expression.

The young woman smiled and shook her head. "Please Stingray-sama."

"I'm sure the Chairman can make an appointment with my personal secretary," Sylia told her.

Domino laughed softly. "Stingray-sama, you know you are being ridiculous now."

"Yes, I guess so." Sylia swung the weapon out and lined it up with Domino's head.

Domino did not blink, she continued to look at Sylia, seeming to ignore the weapon pointed at her. "Stingray-sama, we are doing things peacefully. If you force us into other action, someone might get hurt. Not you of course, but friends or family or just people passing by."

It was an effective threat. Sylia lowered the weapon. "I'll get my purse," Sylia said. "Please, come in."

"Thank you," Domino said, stepping into the genkan, then slipping off her shoes and stepping up into the apartment.

Sylia was still considering making a break for it. She could still shoot the woman. The walls of her penthouse were well soundproofed. She realised quickly that there was little point. She had always known if Genom came to get her, there was little she could do to stop them. Fighting until they took her would be something Priss would do. She almost wished that she had that sort of impulsiveness in her. Going peacefully seemed wrong.

She took a moment to leave a note for Mackie. She told him that she would be out for some time. What good would telling him the truth do? She reached over and picked up one of the phones, dialling Priss' number. Once she finished dialling there was a click, then nothing.

Slowly she put the phone down. She reached for Her NAVI before realising that it would be jammed as well. Things had been prepared well.

Somewhere along the line she had made a mistake and had underestimated Genom. She should have known better.

Sighing, she picked up her purse, put her pistol into it, and walked back to the front door where Domino waited. She thought again about shooting the executive, but that seemed wrong. She was being brought in, politely, more like a guest than a prisoner. She took some consolation in that. It was possible that Quincy did not know about the Knight Sabers, that he just wanted to talk to her about what she had said during the ceremony honouring her father.

"I'm ready to go," Sylia told Domino.

Domino nodded and slipped her feet back into her shoes. Sylia removed a pair from the cabinet, placed them into the genkan and then slipped her feet into them.

They said nothing as they walked down the hall, then took the elevator to the ground level.

Domino led her, never looking back, towards a black car. The car looked old, though obviously well maintained. There were several young men standing around it, Sylia heard one of them say, "Fairlady ja nai ka(it's a Fairlady isn't it)?" as if it meant something.

A pointed stare from Domino sent them moving back and she opened the passenger door for Sylia then circled around to the driver's door.

Sylia got in and put on her seat belt, not moving very fast. Domino had already started the car by the time Sylia closed her door.

"Car otoku," Domino said, looking over at the young men as she pulled away.

"Is it an original?" Sylia asked, pulling the question from the air.

Domino nodded. "It's a 240ZG, if that means anything to you. I appropriated it from the Executive Motor Pool, not that I drive it much," she told Sylia as she smoothly shifted into second gear.

Sylia said nothing else, too wrapped up in other thoughts.

As they approached the Tower she wondered if there was a safe way out. She would have to be patient. Genom had taken complete control and she would have to wait and see what happened.

* * *

Priss' first night back in the Hard Rock was nothing but a success. The place had been packed and the crowd had loved her. The problems, such as they were, had started when she got back stage.

Miako was waiting for her in the dressing room, doing a line of cocaine when Priss and the rest of the band had come in. While Norio was always happy to see Miako, and help himself to some of her drugs, Yuuko had taken a dislike to the photographer that just kept growing.

It made for a tense meeting.

The rest of the band left soon after, leaving Priss and Miako alone.

"Sure you won't have a snort?" Miako asked as she began cleaning up her cocaine.

"No."

"Missing some great stuff," she told Priss as she used the razor blade to sweep all the cocaine into a small pile on the mirror. "Got it from a friend who sells to entertainment industry." She tipped the mirror up and shook the cocaine into a small vial.

"I'll stick to alcohol."

"Are you mad at me Priss-chan?"

"Not really."

"You seem extra disapproving tonight." She laughed as she capped the vial.

Priss said nothing as she got to her feet and walked towards the small bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Sounds good," Miako said as she stood and then followed after Priss.

Priss said nothing and let Miako follow her. Soon they were in the shower together, washing each other, kissing, some light petting, nothing too intense. It was enjoyable, but nothing special. Not really.

Miako suggested they shave each other's pubic hair but Priss declined and shut off the shower.

"You are rather boring at times," Miako said. She was still in the shower stall, leaning against the wall.

"Am I?" Priss asked as she towelled herself dry.

"You are. Sometimes you act almost like you are just one of the boring masses, going to work, waiting to die."

Priss' laughter was derisive. "I'm not worried about that."

"I would be if I were you. You seem to be very conservative in your stupid chances."

Priss shook her head as she put the damp towel around her shoulders. She grabbed another towel and began running it through her hair as she left the bathroom. "Have you ever thought that maybe I don't feel like playing your little shaving game just because I don't want to deal with the itch as it grows back?"

Miako stepped from the shower, water dripping from her hair and from her body. She grabbed a towel as she followed Priss out. "Okay, then let's get it permanently wiped. And while we're at it some body piercing, and tattoos. We'll have 'Miako's bitch' tattooed on your ass and 'Priss' Bitch' put on mine, just to be fair.

Priss tossed the one towel aside as she searched through her street clothes, looking for her panties. "I've never thought much about body piercing," Priss told her. "Or ritual scarring, or branding."

"Sounds like you are a coward," Miako laughed as she began to dry herself.

"No," Priss said as she stepped into her panties and then pulled them up her legs. She turned to face Miako. The other woman stood by the bathroom door, wrapping her hair in the towel. She was quite beautiful, and Priss found her body to be very exciting. "Why do I need someone to scar me when I have enough of my own already?" Priss asked her as she ran her hand down her stomach, stopping it just below the knife scar there.

Miako smiled. "Okay, you got a point. So it is not a question of you being able to take the pain, at least the physical pain. What about taking the scorn. I wonder what your little bassist would think if you got your nipples pierced?"

"Sounds uncomfortable," Priss told her. "And pointless."

Miako shook her head as she pulled the towel free and tossed it to the floor. "I think you are just making excuses."

Priss picked up her bra and put it on. She then reached for her blouse. "You know what I think?"

"What?" Miako asked as she began getting dressed.

"I think you are more self-destructive than I am, but that you are afraid to go all the way. You need someone to lead you, someone like yourself, someone to pull you along as you push her along. Someone like me." Priss finished buttoning up her blouse.

"That's very deep," Miako laughed. "Might even be true."

"You take drugs just hoping that they will lessen the fear, but it never really works."

"Could be."

"Going to be one of those artists who dies young and stupidly, and becomes famous in death?" Priss stepped into her pants.

"Why not? We've both got a solid base of work to leave behind. You die like that, people never forget you."

"I'm not interested."

"What, do you want to be one of the pitiful, old artists? You know, the kind that people always say should have quit before they became a pitiful shadow of themselves?"

"I'd like to think I'd know when to gracefully bow out before that could happen."

"Why take the chance?" Miako demanded.

"Because living is about chances, and I like that." She grabbed her jacket and began to put it on.

"Death is about chances as well."

"We all have to die eventually." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "No one lives forever." She picked up her guitar case and then walked from the room. She stopped at the threshold and looked back at Miako. The photographer was almost dressed. Priss took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the woman once more. "I don't want to ever see you again."

"Why, afraid that I'll make you change your mind?"

Priss shook her head. "I'm afraid I might try to help you, but when you grab on to a drowning person, they might pull you down."

Miako laughed at that.

"Good bye Miako-san," Priss said, then turned and walked off.

"Good luck Priss, you'll need it," Miako called after her. "Remember, we're a lot more alike then you are willing to give credit for."

Perhaps she was right, Priss thought as she walked away. It was the small differences between them that were important, however. She did not look back.

* * *

Priss returned home but did not stay long. After dropping her things off she headed out again. She wanted to be alone, to think. Priss did some of her best thinking on her bike.

She drove along the streets, whipping down multilane, well-lit roads, and through dark, garbage-strewn alleyways. She drove fast. Much too fast. A few times the police took interest, but she easily lost them. Between her speed and a number of tricks she had picked up in her years of riding, the police did not really have a chance.

And as she drove, letting her mind play over the events of the last few months, the player in her pocket fed music up a line and into her helmet speakers.

It was all a selection of her own music, from the simple songs and covers she had done when she had just started out, up to her most recent work. As she thought about everything she listened to her own words, to the evolution in her talent and her way of thinking.

She was turning onto a ramp that led onto the elevated highways when one of her most recent songs came on. She had written it and recorded it the night she had last left Miako's apartment. The music was soft and each note was given special attention.

Priss began to sing along with the song as she rode.

_"Won't someone tell me what love means?  
All I know are broken hearts and broken dreams."_

She had hit the strings hard on 'hearts' and 'dreams', punching them up. She did the same with her voice.

_"When I've opened my heart, they have gone away,  
the price demanded is too much to pay.  
I just don't understand it anymore."_

She listened to her guitar work, the music beginning to trail off after a few seconds, then coming on strongly once again.

_"Won't someone show me that mythic place?  
A soft caress a lover's face.  
I long for one's warmth at my side,  
Yet the fear of loss, my feelings hide.  
I just don't understand it anymore."_

When she had written it, had played it, she had felt so tired. So lonely. Nothing had made sense. Nothing but the music.

_"Won't someone tell me they love me?  
But what trust I, in words like these?  
Poets lie with words so kind,  
the truth in words is hard to find.  
I just don't understand it anymore."_

She had been thinking about how everything she wanted was gone, about how she had so little left. Priss watched the road ahead of her, at the potholes and pieces of rubble. She avoided them, counter steering, leaning when she had to, passing very close to the various objects. You had to cut it close. That was how you got better. That was what Mamoru had told her. She wondered if he meant for her to apply that philosophy to her entire life?

She was close to where Sylvie had died, up ahead of her was a broken section of the highway. In her ears the music swelled as the last part of the song came up.

_"Won't someone realise that love's untrue.  
A parents touch or me with you.  
Love is words, but words are lies the world's too cruel under these skies.  
I just don't believe it anymore."_

There, ahead of her, just on the edge of her powerful headlight, the drop. Priss watched as it loomed up ahead of her and smiled.

Her hand closed gently on the brake leaver, she stepped harder on the brake pedal, giving her handlebars a twist as she went. The bike spun about, leaving black marks on the roadway, the world twisted about her. She took her foot from the brake pedal, at the same time squeezing the lever harder. The front tire locked up, but that was not a problem as she was sliding backwards.

The bike finally stopped. Priss looked back. Her rear tire was about a metre from the drop. "I'm going to have to cut that closer if I want to get better," Priss said softly as the music in her ears faded.

She put the kick stand down, leaning the bike onto it, and then she shutdown the engine. She pulled her helmet off and shook her hair out. After getting off the bike she pulled the line from her helmet then put the helmet down on the ground.

It was quiet around her. The sounds of the city were far off at that moment, the lights faint. She felt as if there was no one around for kilometres. Priss turned and walked to the edge of the broken road and looked down. It was hard to see very much in the darkness, but Priss could tell the piles of trash and refuse that had once been there were gone. Cleared out sometime after Sylvie's death.

She dropped down to sit cross-legged at the edge. From within her jacket she removed a small bottle of whisky. She twisted the cap, breaking the plastic seal then spun the top completely off. It bounced on the road way and then off the bridge.

Priss took a drink, making a face at the way it burned. It was cheap whisky; she had got in from a vending machine earlier. She took another drink, noting it went down a little smoother. She then took the bottle and poured half of its remaining contents off the edge.

"Been a while," Priss said softly as she looked down, then she put the bottle aside and leaned back to stare up at the sky. The stars were faint points of light, washed out in the light pollution from the city. Brighter in the sky was the sunlight reflecting off the orbital constructs hanging high above her. The night sky was not what it had been when she had first looked up there, had been old enough to know what she was looking at.

"You know Sylvie, I'm beginning to wonder if I go looking for people who are damaged goods, like me, and you, and Miako. Or maybe they just find me." She laughed at the thought that she was a magnet for the spiritually crippled. "Or maybe Miako was partly right. You need to be with people who can truly understand you to be happy. Maybe that is what we all want, just to be happy."

Priss shifted about until her legs dangled over the edge the broken overpass. She reached into her jacket pocket and produced a harmonica. It was a new instrument for her, but she had picked it up quickly enough.

She put it to her lips and began to play, a lonely sound, like a far off train whistle. She kept playing, finding a tune in the random music, hard, bluesy. And as the tune formed so did the words. She took the harmonica from her mouth and began to sing, her voice deeper and richer than usual.

_"We don't value human life,  
How can we value our creations?  
We live in disposable times,  
That is the situation._

_"We've thrown them away,"_ she began the chorus, raising her _voice.  
"We've left them to suffer.  
And what can I say?  
They're on the trail to freedom"_

Priss put the harmonica back to her mouth and played, refining the music as she went.

_"You can't make a freeman a slave,  
At least that's what they tell me.  
And one day the chains will break,  
The dream will have its day."_

Priss sang the chorus again, altering the way she had sung it the first time, getting it closer to what she wanted.

"_The drive for freedom burns hot,  
Raging like a flame.  
You can deny it all you want,  
It's a drive that can't be tamed._

_"We've thrown them away,  
We've left them to suffer.  
And what can I say?  
They're on the trail to freedom._

_"We don't value human life,  
How can we value our creations?  
We live in disposable times,  
That is the situation._

_"We're all thrown away,  
We're all left to suffer.  
And what can I say?  
We're on the trail to freedom.  
We're on the trail to freedom.  
We're on the trail to freedom._

She put the harmonica to her mouth again and began to play, slowly letting the music grow softer and fade before she stopped.

Looking down into the darkness below her, Priss smiled. She slid the harmonica back into her jacket before grabbing the bottle of whisky and surging to her feet. Standing on the edge of the drop she took another drink of the alcohol.

"I'm glad you and Anri found the freedom you were looking for at the end. I hope you'll forgive me if I find mine in another way." She tossed the bottle off the bridge, listening until she heard it shatter below.

"Good bye Sylvie."

For a moment Priss stood there, then she turned and walked back to her bike. In a few seconds she was straddling the bike, the engine roaring to life. She knocked the kick stand back with the heel of her boot. She gave the accelerator a twist and put the bike in gear. The rear tire spun in place for a moment before the bike leapt forward, shooting away from the edge.

Priss drove fast, enjoying the speed. She was feeling good, maybe not happy, but good. Happiness would likely come soon enough.

A few minutes later, just before the exit ramp she wanted, Priss saw several cars parked on the roads, their lights shining in her face, blocking the way. The visor on her helmet darkened, blocking out the lights as Priss slowed down, looking for a way through. As she got closer she recognised the markings of THP cars.

"Damn," Priss said. "What are they doing up here?"

She brought the bike to a stop near one of the cars and flipped her visor up.

One of the men stepped forward. "I'm going to have to ask you to wait here," he called out to her. "There's a boomer incident up ahead and we can't let anyone pass."

Priss looked at the man, feeling very suspicious. Why would the THP be blocking off a road that no one would be on? She would have heard or seen something if a boomer incident was occurring. And if it was bad enough to have this many THP officer involved in traffic management then she was certain she would have heard from Sylia. Furthermore, while the cars had THP paint jobs, they did not look like THP cars.

"Sure," Priss said just before she gunned her engine and shot by the approaching man. Mamoru had been right, at least where it came to motorcycle riding. She slid between two of the cars, just avoiding the open door of one of the vehicles. There were more men there and few of them were wearing police uniforms. Most were in dark suits. Something was not right.

She planned to hit the off ramp and get down onto the city streets. She could lose anyone once she was down there. After she was in the clear she would figure out what was going on. That was the plan at least. When a boomer rose up over the side of the bridge she had to make a few minor changes to that plan.

She looked as the boomer came at her, intercept course. She was going to have to cut it close. She increased her speed, shifting gears as she went. The engine wined as she pushed it to redline. It looked like she was going to overshoot the exit now and the boomer altered its course to match. Just as Priss was even with the exit braked hard and twisted the front wheel around.

The bike would come around hard, loosing a lot of tire surface, and much of its speed, but she would lined up with the ramp and the boomer would overshoot.

It might have worked if not for the alcohol in her system. The manoeuvre required very precise timing and control and she did not quite have it at that moment.

Instead the rear tire slipped out from under the bike and it started pitching over. Priss knew she could not stop it, not with the amount of kinetic the bike had. She swung her one leg out of the way as the bike slammed into the roadway. She then held on and rode the sliding bike until it slowed.

As the motorcycle was nearing the end of its slide Priss kicked herself off, trusting her clothing and helmet to protect her from serious abrasions. She rolled off on a different vector from the bike, bouncing across the road and coming to a stop near the barrier on the left side.

She surged to her knees, pulling a pistol from under her jacket. Some of the men were running towards her, others had got into their cars, and the boomer was coming right at her. Whether she had done so by some instinct or if it had been just luck, the bike had ended up between her and the approaching boomer.

She raised her pistol, brining it to bear on the boomer, then dropped her point of aim to her bike, to its gas tank in particular.

It took four shots to cause the explosion. The boomer was right over the bike when Raven's special blend went up. It was not a very powerful explosion, it was only a few litres of gas after all, but it was enough to send the boomer off on the wrong course.

Priss surged to her feet and ran to the barrier, leaping onto it. About five metres down from where she stood was the off ramp. It was a long drop.

"Freeze," she heard one of the men call.

She turned to look. The man closest to her had a weapon raised and pointed at her. Priss didn't think. She just fired. The man stumbled and fell.

One of his companions began to fire at her. Priss felt a stinging pain as one of the bullets cut a deep furrow in her shoulder. She leapt from the barrier before she was shot again. When she hit the road surface of the off ramp she rolled, trying to absorb the force of the landing. It hurt, but not bad enough to indicate any permanent damage. She was going to be a mass of bruises in the morning.

As soon as she got her feet under her she took off at a run. She could still get clear, but she had to be fast.

* * *

"What the hell did you do?" the man who had first spoken to Priss screamed at the man who had fired at her.

"She was armed," the shooter tried to defend himself.

"I don't care if she is trying to kill you, you will not use lethal force." He ran to the railing that Priss had leapt from and looked down. He just caught sight of a shadowy figure leaping over another guard rail. Damn she was fast. "You," he looked over at the boomer, "go after her."

The boomer's jets fired up as it took to the air and started the chase. Two other boomers went after it.

"All right, let's go, we have to find her!"

One of the cars came to a stop beside him, its paint job changing from that of the THP to a uniform black. He pulled the passenger door open and climbed in.

"She's good," the driver said as he put the car into reverse.

"Too good," he said. "We better do this right or there will be hell to pay."

* * *

Priss ran as fast as she could, trying to escape the sound of thrusters. The damn boomer was following her, maybe even more than one. It had to be Genom. But why were they after her? They could not have found out about the Knight Sabers. There was no way. No way at all. Why else would they be after her though?

"Shit," Priss cursed, leaping up and grabbing the top of a chain link fence. She pulled herself over the top of it, ignoring the pain from her shoulder, and then dropped to the other side. She ran, then ducked into an alley. Above her another building jutted out overhead, covering her from the air. She yanked her helmet off and tossed it away. It was just extra weight she did not need.

She sprinted down the alley, her feet almost slipping out from under her as they skidded on the refuse there. She wished she still had her bike. Having to blow it up pissed her off.

On reaching the end of the alley she made a sharp turn. The sound of the thrusters was somewhere behind her and to her left. It was growing fainter. She had lost them, for now. She kept running down the street. A kilometre or so ahead of her was a busier area. It was late, but there should still be enough traffic for her to get lost in.

She had been running for a minute when she heard the screech of tires behind her. She did not bother looking, just picked up her pace. Maybe it had nothing to do with her, but Priss doubted it.

Up ahead of her the road she was on crossed over top of another. With the sound of the car's engine growing closer she further increased her pace. They were not going to get her. She leapt from the side of the road, vaulting the railing and then falling towards the road below. It was only about four metres, hardly worth worrying about, she thought wryly as she fell.

Again she rolled on hitting, grateful again that Sylia's training had included stuff like that. At the time she thought learning how to fall was stupid.

As she rolled to her feet the sound of a horn came to her ears. She looked over her shoulder and saw the truck that was bearing down on her at high speed.

"Damn," Priss said as she realised that she could not get out of the way.

Then something hit her, sending her flying back, out of the path of the truck. As she sailed through the air she saw a boomer. She hit the wall, the back of her head banging hard on the concrete. Just as darkness was claiming her she saw the truck slam into the boomer. It looked as if the truck was going to come out worse.

* * *

Over the years Ali and Makoto had owned a number of beepers, cellular phones and most recently NAVIs. Since their jobs often had them being called at odd times, they had made sure the rings or beeps of their personal communication tools were distinct from each other. It was an important consideration considering their jobs.

The shrill beeping early that morning was from Ali's NAVI. She reached out from under the cover and grasped her NAVI from where it rested, close at hand, on the tatami matting. She pulled the NAVI under the covers and flipped it open near her face.

It was a standard call in message for an emergency case. Her patient was not at the clinic, however. She would be going to the Genom Tower for this call. That woke her up. She had never before gone to the Tower.

She flipped the cover from her and sat up on her futon. Beside her Makoto mumbled, "Something big up?"

"Don't know," Ali told him. "I suppose I'll find out." She leaned over and kissed him gently. "Got to go. I love you."

"I love you too," Makoto said as he settled back into sleep.

Ali smiled. With the both of them having to occasionally run off in the middle of the night they had promised to always say goodbye and 'I love you' before they left. It made being woken up in the middle of the night easier to take.

She got up and padded quietly over to her wardrobe. She dressed quickly, used to getting ready in the dark. She chose simple clothesa pair of loose jeans and a sweatshirt. It was not as if anyone was really going to care how she looked.

Ali left the bedroom and went to the bathroom to use the toilet. After washing her hands she brushed out her hair, splashed some water on her face, then left the bathroom.

When she left the house a short time later the car was waiting for her. It was a black sedan; the driver held the door open for her. Ali got into the car and the driver shut the door. She relaxed back in the seat and looked at the full message on her NAVI. There was a patient at the Genom Tower and the clinic she worked for had been contacted to supply a specialist in head trauma. That was her.

Ali did not mind being called out late at night for such things. After all, she was a doctor; and she was paid double time and a halfcome bonus-time she would also see a two-percent increase in that bonus for each of the calls she made. It all made late night calls easier to bare.

Two minutes later the car pulled to a stop near a small park. A tilt-rotor, painted in Genom colours, had landed in the park. Its engines were kicking up a little dust.

Ali exited the car and ran for the aircraft. It was not the first time she had had to be flown in.

"Romanova-hakase, welcome aboard," one of the members of the flight crew said to her as she climbed into the craft.

"Thank you," Ali said.

"Please," the man said, indicating a seat that was surrounded by several monitors.

Ali took a seat and went to work even as the aircraft took to the air. She had real time feed from Genom. Currently her patient was being given a NMR scan. She watched with some interest as the skull was scanned, then turned her attention to other reports. Her patient was female, in her early twenties-there were no previous complications.

The patient was sedated, which was a little odd, but Ali assumed there was a good reason. At least the sedative they had used was not one that might cause problems. She called up the scan of the wound to the patient's shoulder. The Genom people had tagged it as a cut. Ali wondered whom they were trying to fool. That was a gunshot wound. She shook her head and turned to the full report on the nature of the head wound.

What she saw did not make her happy. Not because it was bad, quite the opposite actually. She tapped the number of the attending physician into the system. A few seconds later the man answered.

"Yes Romanova-hakase?"

"I'm looking at these wounds and there is no need for me. This is a minor contusion, hardly the sort of thing that requires a specialist to be called in." She was a little upset. She did not like being woken up just because someone with a lot of money wanted to impress someone, which she was certain what it was about.

"I understand Romanova-hakase, but as you know the patient, we thought that it might help if you were brought in."

"Pardon?" Ali asked.

"You are friends with the patient."

Ali had never looked at the personal data right away, beyond age and genderit was never important. A few key taps brought the personal data up. Prisila Saki Asagiri.

Injuries seemed ten times worse when they involved people she knew. Ali knew that was wrong, that she should be objective, but it was hard. She forced herself to consider everything calmly. Just a few seconds ago she had been ready to tell the pilot to turn around and head backafter she had finished giving someone a piece of her mind. Now she wanted to tell the pilot to speed up. The wounds had not changed, even if it was Priss.

"I see," she said. "Thank you for calling me then. It probably is for the best."

"I'm glad you understand. Is there anything else?"

"No. It looks simple enough."

"Good. I'll see you when you arrive." The doctor cut the connection.

Ali turned back to the NMR scans, making sure she was certain that she knew the entire situation. She wondered how Priss had managed to get herself beat up like that. The NMR scan showed her that it was probably not the first time though.

She looked at the scans and wondered if she might be able to get some wounds properly treated, and maybe some of the scars properly removed. After all, Genom was bound to have some very good cosmetic surgeons on hand.

* * *

**April 15th, Saturday, 8:12am**

Sylia checked the hang of the suit in the room's largest mirror. She reached up and straightened the red stone that she had set at the base of her blouse's high collar.

The suit fit perfectly, which worried her a little. How long had Quincy been planning to bring her in?

The suite she had been shown to the previous night was quite comfortable. It had huge windows that looked out over the city. She thought she was nearly half a kilometre in the air. She turned away from the mirror to look out those windows. The city had looked so beautiful when the sun had risen. She wondered what it would look like from the top.

The remains of one of the best breakfasts she had ever eaten lay scattered on the table.

If she was a prisoner, she was a well-treated one. She did not feel like a prisoner, however. None of the doors had been locked, she could have left her room and wandered the tower any time she wanted. She could have even left the Tower. It was not locked doors that held her there.

Shaking her head she reached down and picked up a small box from the table. It had come on the tray with her breakfast.

A gold Genom lapel pin and an identity card.

She knew enough about Genom to know the clearance that the card gave her allowed her access to almost anywhere in the Tower.

Not so long ago she had told Nene that they might have to choose sides. The sides had chosen her instead. She no longer had any choice.

Without any hesitation she pinned the gold insignia to her collar and picked up the card, putting it in her jacket pocket.

Time to go forward, she thought, walking towards the door.

"Good morning Stingray-sama," Kimi Sawada said. The young woman in a Genom office lady uniform was Sylia's aide, for lack of a better word. Sylia was fairly certain that Kimi had no idea of the truth behind her being there, but she was not certain of it. The young woman might just be a very good actor.

"Good morning Sawada-san," Sylia said as she looked around the large room. It was set up as a living room, off which were two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Another door led out to an anteroom set up like an office. "Is the chairman ready to see me?"

"Hai Stingray-sama," she said happily.

"Very good," Sylia nodded at the woman, keeping a calm demeanour. Somehow she knew that any signs of weakness would not be wise. "When my associates will take calls, tell them I'll want to see them after the meeting." Sylia had been told that the rest of the Knight Sabers were there, but she would not be able to speak to them until after she had met with the Chairman. For their safety more than anything else, she had been assured.

"Hai, I will."

"Good," Sylia said as she walked towards the door to the anteroom. Kimi followed close behind her.

"Is there anything else you wish me to take care of Stingray-sama?"

"No, that will be fine for now." Sylia pushed open the door that led out into the Tower's corridors.

As she walked through the halls, heading to the elevators that would take her to the Tower's summit, she realised how well she fit in. She wore the mantle of power well it seemed. No one questioned her presence, though admittedly there were few people in the corridors, early as it was.

Once in the elevator she ran her ID card through a reader, letting the elevator take her to where she needed to be.

She exited the elevator and started towards the doors to Quincy's office. As soon as she approached the doors they opened for her. She walked past the 'honour' guard at the doorshe was certain they were boomersand into the office.

Sitting across the room from her, behind an imposing desk, was Quincy.

He said nothing as she crossed the floor. He watched.

There was a chair in front of the desk; it looked a little out of place. She wondered how many people sat in his presence. It appeared she was to be one of them. She took the seat without waiting for him to offer it.

"You wanted to see me Shachou?"

"I have a task for you," he told her.

"Why should I help you?"

Quincy did not say anything. He put his hand on a file in front of him and then slid it across the desk to Sylia.

Sylia picked it up and opened it. It was a rather lengthy list of weapons being transported from some American Military base. She looked down the list, not really interested in its contents until her eyes hit, '3 man portable 5 Kiloton Nuclear Devices'.

She looked up at Quincy.

"A group of individuals who have been troubling Genom and Tokyo wanted those items stolen," he told her.

Sylia swallowed to moisten her throat, which was suddenly dry. "Why?"

"To get what they want. They would have used them to hold this city hostage until we gave into their demands."

Sylia nodded after a moment. She could see it all too clearly. It was time to truly pick a side.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Read this," he told her, sliding another file across to her. It was considerably thicker than the first. She opened it up and took out the heavy document. The first page told her it was a contract.

Sylia flipped through the first few pages, trying to get an idea what it was about. She suddenly looked up at Quincy. "You are returning my father's technology?" she had lost all her composure. Everything, her voice, posture, expression, all spoke of disbelief.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It serves my purposes," was all he said.

When Sylia realised he was not going to say anymore she turned her attention back to the contract. Perhaps she would find the answers she wanted there.

* * *

Nene had woken up disorientated. For a moment she thought she was back at home, but the bed felt wrong, and the room was too big, too bright. Had she slept at Sylia's? she wondered, taking in the luxurious room as she sat up.

No, it was not Sylia's place.

She got out of bed, noticing she was still dressed. The last thing she remembered was talking to Yusa-sensei. Everything after that was a bit of a blur.

Nene wandered about the room, examining things, wondering where she might be. Looking out the window Nene suddenly realised where she was. There was only one place in the city that offered such a view.

She was in the Tower.

Nene almost tripped as she ran to the door. She pulled it open and found herself looking into what looked like a large living room.

A young woman in a Genom office lady's uniform turned to face her. "Is there anything you need Romanova-san?" she asked pleasantly.

"What?" Nene stepped out of the room and looked about.

"Breakfast perhaps?" the office lady suggested.

"What is going on here?"

"What do you mean?" the woman asked, a little confused.

"Why am I here?"

"I'm not certain what you mean. I was told to inform you that Stingray-sama will be in a meeting for the next few hours but wishes to see you afterwards."

Sylia was here? Nene could not believe it. It had to be some sort of trick.

She strode across the room and tried the other door. It opened into an office. She looked back at the woman who was standing nearby, looking a little concerned. She continued through the small office space and opened the next door and found herself looking into a corridor.

Nene was a little confused.

Genom had her, but she certainly was not being treated as a prisoner, or at least as she thought a prisoner would be treated.

Was Sylia really there? If she were, would she want Nene to make a run for it? Could she even leave? Certainly it looked clear but she had little doubt that if Genom did not want her to leave she would not be able to.

She closed the door and walked back to the living room. Somehow she felt it might be best if she waited.

"Are you all right Romanova-san? Would you like me to call a physician?"

"No," Nene said. "I'm fine, thank you." She looked at the woman. "Did you say breakfast?"

* * *

Linna had been shown to a suite soon after Devon had brought her into the Tower. She had been told she would have to stay in the rooms until morning. It was a very comfortable 'cell', with twenty four-hour room service. While she was physically comfortable, she was still very worried and had slept poorly.

She was sitting by the room's window, looking out at the city, when someone knocked on the door that led to the anteroom. Linna looked towards the door. "Come in," she said after a moment.

The door opened and a woman in a Genom office lady's uniform came into the room. "Good morning Yamazaki-san," she said cheerfully. "I'm Kouga Juliet," Juliet said. "I'm your executive aide while you are here."

"My aide?" Linna asked.

Juliet nodded.

"Why do I need an aide?"

Juliet looked a little confused by the question. "Well, for one thing, I can help you find your way around the Tower. Certain areas can be somewhat confusing."

"I see," Linna said, guessing the woman was probably a spy.

"I've been asked to tell you that Stingray-sama is currently in a meeting, but would like to see you once it is over. Also, Okami-sama asked that you be given this." She held out an envelope.

Linna moved forward and took the envelope from Juliet. "Thank you," she said. Juliet smiled and nodded. Linna opened the envelope and removed the single sheet of folded paper from within.

Written out, in very precise, beautiful characters, was an apology. A very simple one really. More of an apology for detaining her rather than the fact that he had betrayed her. He did promise her that he would take care of things outside of the Tower and she need not worry about that.

Well that was something, though not much. She did not think she would ever forgive Devon for what he had done and how he had done it. On the other hand she did not think that he would ever ask for her forgiveness.

Linna folded the sheet up and put is aside.

"Thank you Kouga-san," Linna said.

"Will you need anything else?" Juliet asked.

Linna shook her head.

"I'll be out in the office if you need anything," she said, then paused to see if Linna would ask anything. When Linna simply nodded Juliet turned and left the room.

Linna sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. She wondered what sort of mess she had found herself in now.

* * *

_"When matters are done leisurely, seven out of ten will turn out badly. A warrior is a person who does things quickly"  
_-**Lord Naoshige**


	39. No Armour Against Fate 6

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (6 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

When Priss opened her eyes she was a little surprised to see Ali Romanova leaning over her. The last thing she remembered was the boomer pushing her out of the way of the truck. She had obviously been moved since then.

"How are you feeling?" Ali asked her.

"I've been better," Priss said, wincing as she sat up. She looked around. She was obviously in a hospital room. "What are you doing here?"

"I was called in to take a look at this," Ali said, putting a hand behind Priss' head. The slight pressure she applied made Priss aware of how tender the area was. "There was some bruising of the brain, but nothing too significant. A little work, some medication and that was taken care of easily enough."

"Good," Priss said.

"How does the shoulder feel?"

Priss was a little surprised by the question. "Fine. Why?"

"You broke your left collarbone and put a crack in your scapula. They've been braced internally, strong as ever. The technique was new to me but I was assured that it was the best thing for the break."

Priss nodded. "So where am I? Is this the clinic you work at."

"No," Ali said, shaking her head. "I was brought in because they wanted a familiar face when you woke, and, though they did not say so, because I'm in the top of my field. You're in the Genom Tower, their private clinic."

"The Tower?" Priss asked. A knot of fear formed in Priss' abdomen.

"Yes," Ali nodded, not picking up on Priss' concern. "I'm a little curious as to why you ended up here."

"So am I," she said softly. It was obvious that Ali had no idea why Priss was there, that it had been Genom that had put her there, and Priss was not going to let her find out either. As long as Ali did not know anything she could not be seen as a threat.

"Well, there is someone who wants to talk to you," Ali said, getting to her feet. "He's been waiting for you to wake up."

I'm sure he has, Priss thought. You could not interrogate someone who was unconscious. She felt bad that Ali had done all that work that would no doubt be ruined.

Ali opened the room's door. "She is awake now."

"Thank you very much Romanova-hakase," an old man said as he came into the room.

He was not as Priss pictured a torturer. For a moment she would have said he looked harmless, then he turned to look at her and when Priss saw those eyes she knew that he was anything but.

"I'll give you some privacy," Ali said, then walked from the room.

The old man closed the door and turned to look again at Priss. "Good morning Asagiri Prisila Saki-san," he said, walking towards the bed.

"Who the hell are you?" Priss demanded. She wondered why he had used her complete name, but only a small part of her mind was on that. She was feeling her limbs move under the sheets, testing them. It still hurt a little, but she could move easily enough, and she was not restrained.

"I'm Okami Devon," he said. "Please, call me Devon."

The name sounded familiar to Priss, but she was not sure where she had heard it. Maybe it was in some security briefing that Sylia had given her.

Devon took a seat in the chair beside the bed.

"I suppose you have a lot of questions," Devon said as he picked up the carafe of coffee from the bedside table and poured himself a cup. "Would you like some?"

"No. Why am I here?" Priss asked.

"I'm not entirely sure of that myself really," he told her, taking a drink.

Priss sat up in the bed, feigning weakness. "What do you mean?"

"What I said. I'm sure Stingray-san will inform you when she gets out of her meeting with Quincy-san."

Priss managed to cover her surprise at that statement. They had Sylia as well? Impossible. It had to be. They could never get Sylia.

"Why do you think you are here?" he asked her, startling her from her thoughts.

"Genom wants something from me." It was simple enough

"Possible." He nodded. "What?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"As I said, I can't help you. I suspect that the Knight Sabers are being hired for a task."

"And what does that have to do with me?" she said, reaching for the carafe, deciding she wanted some coffee after all. She was not going to give away any information. Maybe they had pulled her in on suspicion. Hell, maybe Leon had talked, or given something away trying to find out more about the night of the twenty-fifth. Best that she said nothing.

"I don't really care about the Knight Sabers. The question right now is not what Genom wants from you, but what I do."

"What?"

"Why do you think I came into this room, with a very dangerous young woman who might very well kill me if she panics a little? A young woman who is in better shape than she lets on I might add."

Priss stared at him for a moment. "Why?"

"I wanted to show you some pictures."

"What the fuck are you talking about old man?"

"Like I said, pictures," he said, reaching slowly into his jacket and then removing a billfold just as slowly.

He opened it and began removing pictures, placing them onto the bed, near Priss' hand.

"What are these?"

"Photographs from a long time ago."

"Why are you showing me?" Priss asked, picking one up. There was a handsome, middle aged man in the photo, holding a little girl. Both looked familiar.

"As a way to break the ice."

"You're crazy," Priss told him, picking up another. The same man, a little older, as was the girl, standing beside him in a child's kimono. What sort of interrogation technique was this, and why did the little girl look familiar?

"I've heard that before."

Priss picked up several more, looking at them, putting them back on the bed.

She was about to toss the next picture down then stopped and looked closer at it. She reached down and picked up three more, holding them fanned in her hand. Suddenly she felt her mouth go dry and her hands began to shake slightly.

"You," she said, looking up from the pictures to the man across from her.

"She was my daughter," he told her.

"That's a lie! You're lying!" she yelled.

"To what purpose?" Devon asked calmly.

"To get me to do something for Genom!"

He laughed loudly at that. "If Genom wanted you to do something they could arrange it in a much easier way. Your friends, any of them could be killed and no one would ever know it for anything but an accident. One of your band members, Norio-kun, twenty minutes. How about that little boy, Shou? He could be killed quite easily. Romanova-hakase, an accident on the way home. Or..."

Anything else was lost as Priss from the bed, scattering the photos, and then grabbing the lapels of his jacket to yank him to his feet.

"Touch any of them and I'll..."

"You'll what?" He looked right into her eyes.

Priss released her hold and dropped back onto the bed. What would she do? She could not kill everyone in Genom and revenge would not bring the dead back to life.

"As you can see there are easier ways to ensure co-operation than cooking up some elaborate hoax," he told her as he sat down again.

"It can't be true," she said slowly. "She said you were dead."

"Better than the truth I suppose. Would you like to hear a story?"

"What?"

"It was quite a long time ago, more than forty years ago really," he said, ignoring Priss' question. "I met a young woman. She was," he paused, "in trouble. A number of people wanted her dead. She was beautiful and brilliant and deadly and I fell in love. But she was living on borrowed time, as the saying went, and one day she was going to die. She knew that and accepted it.

"I made a deal with her. I exerted my not inconsiderable power to keep her safe, kept the assassins away from her for two years. Enough time to conceive a child, to see it born, to hold it for a few months before she had to leave, before her past could catch up with her and destroy us all.

"She left me and our daughter and disappeared.

"Who was she?" Priss asked, curious in spite of herself.

"Just a woman with a past. She's dead now."

"Did she have a name?" Priss asked angrily. Why was she angry? Everything he was telling her was a lie.

"Not one that mattered, not one that will mean anything to you," he told her. For a time he said nothing. He reached down and picked up one of the pictures, of him beside the girl who was wearing a senior high school uniform, holding a diploma and bouquet of flowers in her arms. "My daughter was everything I had ever wanted in a child and so like her mother. Beautiful, intelligent, charming, but always..." He looked off at nothing for a moment. "Always a little sad."

"Yes," Priss said quietly.

He looked at Priss and then smiled. "I wanted her to be part of Genom. She could have you know? If she had, I think she might be in charge now. Quincy may have stepped down by now had she been there. That was my hope. That my daughter would one day be part of the company I had given so much of myself to create."

"She didn't though," Priss said.

"No. I was quite surprised when it happened," the way he said it told Priss he still was not sure about it. "She was in her second year at University when she told me she was marrying a fellow student. I of course was ready to refuse to let her, but she told me that I could not stop her. She had simply done what I said for so long that it never occurred to me that she had it in herself to disobey me.

"She was right of course," he continued. "I could not stop her, short of having her fiancee killed or hurt."

"Why didn't you?"

"For loving my daughter. For wanting to make her happy? What sort of monster do you think I am Saki-san?"

"The sort that threatens to kill little boys and doctors. And don't call me that."

"Actually I would not have done that, but there are some who would. And why should I not call you that? It is your name."

"No, not any longer."

"You can't hide from the past like that," he said as he shook his head. "As I was saying, I could not harm him. So, my daughter married. He was an intelligent young man, but had no drive. He made her happy though and I could not fault him. I still thought my daughter would carry on as I wanted her to. She remained in school after all. That lasted until a few days before she gave birth." He sighed softly. "After that, well, she was happy to be a mother. It was in her nature you see. She was very empathic really. I think that would have stood her well in the business world. In the end she wanted to care for her child, however.

"Again, I could not be too angry, I had a granddaughter after all. Then something unfortunate happened."

"What?" Priss had leaned forward slightly, the story capturing her attention more than she would have thought.

"She was truly brilliant you know. I could never hide anything from her. I found that out when she told me she did not want a man like me near her daughter. She knew who I really was, what I had really done. What she was truly saying was that she did not want me trying to force her daughter down the same road I tried to force my daughter, her, down.

"She had a very strong will, stronger than I had ever realised. I think she feared her daughter might not be strong enough to resist my influence. It was her way of telling me to be a grandfather, not a corporate recruiter.

"I was hurt by that. I was hurt that she knew me for what I was as well. I was hurt that she disapproved. I took her at the form of her words and not their meaning and never went back again, never saw her, or her family. It was my way to try to get back at her.

"She loved me, the young fool," he said sadly, and Priss thought she might have seen unshed tears glitter in his eyes for a moment. Then he blinked and if they had been there, they were gone. "I loved her as well. I was torturing us both. She was not the only fool in the family," he told Priss, shaking his head.

"She died in the quake, with her husband. The girl survived. I was going down to get her from the hospital where she was, but I never did."

"Why?" Priss asked, something demanding her tone, something that worried her.

"Because I wanted to ensure that my daughter would have begged me to help her child. It was my last bit of petty revenge."

"You bastard," Priss said quietly, an anger in her words she did not understand.

"Yes. I left her to orphanages, waiting for the time to claim her. It never came. Always when I thought she was at a point where she needed me to survive, she would come out of her low points, on her own, a little stronger, a little more deeply hurt. And I sat there and watched it all. I've come to regret that, as much as I regret never having a chance to say good bye to my daughter."

"It's too late to undo the past though. I can try to make the present better."

Priss said nothing for a time. She shook her head. "You're a liar."

"Pardon?" he looked up at her.

"You left me the first time because you wanted to hurt her. After that you stayed away from me because you were afraid I'd see the truth about you, like she did, and you could not stand that. You are a pitiful, empty man."

Devon looked at her for a few seconds, then a sad smile formed on his face. "So much like her," he said softly.

"And what did you plan to do if this meeting had not been forced?"

"To simply watch over you as I have. Make sure you stay safe."

"What?"

"Have you ever wondered why you could always find a back street clinic when you needed one? Why the doctors that treated you never screwed up like the others you had heard about? Ever wondered why you never were charged in any of the crimes you committed? Why your appointed lawyers were so good? I did what I could without revealing myself."

Priss was not sure what to say about that. She had always thought she was lucky and always caught the good break. Now it looked like there had been a lot of work involved in her lucky breaks.

"Had things worked out as I wanted you would have never known of me until after I had died. Then you would have received notice that you were my sole heir."

"So some lawyer would have come up to me and told me that I was rich? You are a bastard."

"You would not have wanted to know me."

"That may be true, but I wanted to know more about my mother and you can tell me that."

Devon looked a little surprised at that. "I suppose that is true." He got to his feet. "Someone will show you to your suite. I'm sure Stingray-san will send word to you when she is ready to talk." He walked to the door then turned to look back at her. "If you wish to speak with me, I'm sure someone can give you my number."

Priss said nothing.

"As I said, you are very much like your mother, but you are also very much like me."

Priss wanted to tell him that she was nothing like him, but she could not.

Devon turned and left the room.

Priss stared at the closed door, wondering just who Devon was. She wanted to brush off everything that he had said as a lie. Somehow, she could not.

* * *

Sylia stifled a yawn as she read through the last page. It was quite the document.

"I'll want to go over this with my lawyer before I sign it," Sylia said.

"Of course," Quincy told her.

She looked at the man who was willing to give her back the technology he had stolen. Well, not quite. She was going to 'allow' Genom to sign a one hundred-year contract with her company that licensed the unique aspects of her father's technology to the corporation. Genom was in it for the long term and always looked to the future.

The fees for the licensing of that technologyplus damages Genom would pay in an out of court settlementwere rather large. It would be more than enough to finance the creation of Stingray Industries. Stingray Industries was the company she was going to form for boomer research. Genom was assuming a lot in thinking that she would enter that area of research. Of course it was an assumption that would pay off. She already knew she could not stay away from it.

She would have some control over Genom's use of boomers, as long as she had what Genom wanted. That meant creating technology they needed and then making agreements on how it would be used.

It would be quite the fight. She had no illusions about the fact Genom would want as little control imposed on them as possible.

The contact also had the corporate equivalent of a 'Most favoured Nation' clause. For the next fifty years any contract she made with any other company, or individual, gave Genom the right to the same, if they so wished.

That was going to be hard to accept and she would try her best to get it rewritten in a way more favourable to her company.

Her company.

Already she was thinking of it that way.

She had a new way to oppose Genom, one that Quincy himself had given her. She was already planning on using it.

She would lose the Knight Sabers.

It was an unwritten part of the contract. She would have no time, and no use, for the organisation after she signed the papers. The Knight Sabers time had come and gone.

That hurt.

"How long have you known?" She looked across the desk at Quincy.

"Longer than you," he told her. "I was not about to ignore the daughter of Katsuhito-san after all."

"And you just watched and did nothing."

"Your organisation served me in a number of ways."

Sylia said nothing, just nodded.

"The other members of your team are waiting. I'll leave it to you to convince them."

Sylia got to her feet. "I will not make this easy for you," she told him.

"I never expected you would."

She turned and walked to the doors. "Shitsurei shimasu," she said as she walked out the doors, not stopping.

Quincy watched her go, smiling slightly.

* * *

Sylia stopped by her room to clean up and change. She also had her aide arrange for a meeting room and that Priss, Nene and Linna be informed. She considered asking that any security monitors in the room be deactivated but decided against it. It was likely Quincy had all the security around them locked down already.

Several minutes later she entered that room.

Nene was seated at the table, wearing clothes that were her usual style, but of much higher quality than anything she had worn before.

Linna was on the floor, stretching. She was wearing loose clothing, and like Nene's outfit, it was of very high quality.

Priss stood by the window, looking out at the city. She wore a black suit that complemented her well. That surprised Sylia.

Then Priss turned around and slumped back against the window, destroying the image. "What the hell is happening?" Priss asked.

"Genom has hired me," Sylia said as she closed and locked the door behind her. She did not expect anyone to enter, but in what was essentially enemy territory in many ways, a locked door was better than an unlocked one.

"What?" Nene asked.

"They need me to take care of a problem they have."

"And you are going to help them?" Linna got to her feet.

"None of you have to stay," Sylia told them, ignoring Linna's question. "You may go now, Genom had already deposited funds in your accounts for the trouble. They have been quite generous."

"You sold out," Priss said.

Sylia looked across the room at the singer. She felt a tiny stab of anger at that, but the singer's accusation was not unjustified. "Perhaps, in a way."

"There is no 'in a way'. You either sold out or you didn't. You sold out, didn't you?"

Sylia wondered why Priss was so angry. She had expected a little anger from her, but not that much, not a direct attack.

"Sylia-san?" Nene said, looking at her.

"I sold out," Sylia said.

"What did they give you?" Priss asked.

"Calm down Priss," Linna said, also a little surprised at Priss' actions.

"Full control of all my father's technology," Sylia told Priss. "There are strings of course, but I think I can deal with that."

"They gave it to you?" Nene looked at her.

"Genom will still be building and selling boomers, but I will be able to impose controls on them."

"So you won't need the Knight Sabers any longer," Priss said, pushing away from the wall.

"No," Sylia said.

"What?" Nene and Linna asked at the same time.

"Genom's become tired of us," Priss said, pulling back one of the chairs, then sitting in it.

"There is some truth to that." Sylia walked forward to pull one of the chairs out.

"We can't help Genom," Nene said.

"We can." Sylia took a seat.

"Why?" Nene asked, a little anger in her tone.

"Because Genom, as bad as they are, would never detonate a nuclear bomb in this or any other city."

"Nuclear..." Nene began. "What are you talking about?"

"The same people who let Flecks boomers wander this city tried to obtain three nuclear weapons. It seems likely that they would have used them to hold the city ransom. It is quite possible they would have detonated one elsewhere to prove their willingness to use them."

Nene looked at Sylia, shock on her face.

"You trust Genom on this?" Priss asked.

"Yes."

Priss nodded.

"So you are going to do it?" Linna asked.

"Yes."

"And if we decide to stay?"

"You become Genom employees for the duration of this and are very well paid."

"That's something," Linna said.

"What does that mean if we want to bail after we agree?" Priss asked.

"Genom has never been kind to rogue employees. We all have people that could be used as levers against us."

"Figures." Priss shook her head.

"I can't work for Genom," Nene said.

"It would not be the first time," Priss told her.

"But this..."

"You don't have to stay," Sylia told her. "You can leave right now."

"I'm in this. I'll see it through to the end. You'll probably need a shooter," Priss said.

Linna sighed. "I guess I can say goodbye to my dance career, but I am in."

"Okay," Nene said. She did not sound happy about it.

"What about Mackie?" Priss asked.

"He won't become involved in this," Sylia said.

"Suits."

"Now what?" Nene asked.

"At 4pm we have a briefing where the exact nature of this job will be laid out."

"You don't know what they want us to do?" Priss sounded surprised.

"Not everything. They want us to stop these people. The rest I don't know."

"Think they want wetwork?" Priss asked

"I don't do wetwork."

"Assassinations," Nene said, her tone holding disbelief. "We can't do..."

"If they wanted assassins they could have found them elsewhere," Sylia interrupted her.

"You've already agreed to the job," Priss said. "For all you know they want you to go and kill these people."

"I don't think so," Sylia said, looking across the table at Priss. Something was bothering the other woman.

"Why?"

"Because Genom seems to know me well enough to know what I will and won't do."

"Maybe they are hoping we will have to kill in self defence." Linna suggested.

"That is possible."

"Stop it," Nene said, sounding angry. "Can we wait until we know what is going to happen before we argue about it?"

Sylia smiled slightly. "Of course," she reached into her jacket and took out three cards. She put them on the table and pushed them towards Nene. "You will find this ID lets you go most places in the Tower"  
Nene reached forward for the cards and pulled them across the table to herself. She took one and slid the second across the table to Linna and handed the third to Priss.

"What does all this mean," Priss looked at the ID she had been given.

"Welcome to the Genom family," Sylia said, smiling ever so slightly.

She wondered why Priss reacted as if she had been slapped.

"Sylia-san, did they find out about us because of Okami-san?" Linna asked. No one noticed Priss' eyes widen slightly.

"No," Sylia shook her head. "Quincy has been watching me for some time now. As he said, I think he knew I was going to form the Knight Sabers before I did."

Linna nodded. "Maybe this is the wrong time to say this, but I'm glad I can see you again, now that the danger of discovery is over."

* * *

Andrea Kikuchi was having a slightly bad day. While she usually knew a few minor problems were bound to crop up in any day, Yamazaki's failure to show was a moderate problem. She was always bothered when dancers did not make it, especially when they did not call in, and attempts to reach them failed.

Having to worry about what might have happened to one of her dancers was not a problem Andrea liked to deal with. As much as she tried, it was hard not to feel somewhat responsible for her dancers.

Near noon she had set the dancer understudying Linna's part to practice with Miki and Mako. She felt a little bad about that, but it was the nature of her dance troupe that no one was irreplaceable. Andrea would have no prima-donnas in her troupe.

During lunch one of her assistants told her that a visitor was waiting in her office. On entering her office she found Devon Okami waiting for her.

"Devon-san?"

"Andrea," he said, giving her his most charming of smiles. "I'm glad you could see me."

"Well, I always can make time for you," she told him as she circled around to sit behind her desk. "Please, sit."

Devon did so.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'd like to speak to you about Yamazaki-san."

Andrea was a little surprised. "Is she all right?"

"Yes, she is fine, but something has come up that is beyond her control."

"What?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

"Which means?"

"That I can't tell you anything, as I said."

"I don't understand this."

"And I suspect you never will, but it is not something you have to worry about."

"So you say."

"So I say, and you know I have never lied to you before." That was a lie in itself, but he knew Andrea would believe him. They always believed him. "I want you to ensure Yamazaki-san has a place when she returns."

"Will she be able to tell me why she was gone?"

"I doubt it."

"Then no," she said, shaking her head. "I have rules for my dancers. I don't care how good they are, I will not keep anyone who will not follow those rules."

"Even if it is not their fault?"

Andrea paused for a moment, then nodded. "Even then."

"Well, you are a woman of your principals. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"You started looking for funding for one of you big projects."

"Yes I have," Andrea said, a little confused by the question,

"I'll give you complete funding, more than you need actually. You'll be able to go first class all the way."

"If I keep Yamazaki-san."

"Yes."

"Hardly fair."

"Yes, but that is the way it is."

Andrea nodded. "This time I'll let you bribe me, but only because Yamazaki is very good and I was hoping you'd give me a reason to cut her some slack."

"Then we both get what we want."

"This doesn't mean I won't draw her over the coals for not showing up, and if she slacks off for even a moment, she's out like any other dancer would be."

"Agreed. That is how Yamazaki would want it."

"I won't ever know what this was about, will I?"

"No," Devon said as he got to his feet.

* * *

Sylia cradled the phone, hanging up on Dr. Raven. She had called him, deciding it was best to let him explain things to Mackie. She also needed the hardsuits and the motoslaves ready to move. She had no doubt that she would need them.

She only hoped that Mackie would accept that he was not coming without giving Dr. Raven a hard time about it. She suspected that he would want to come. She could not blame him. This was to be the Knight Saber's last mission. To be left out would hurt him.

Sylia would deal with Mackie later. Right now she had little time to worry about hurting the feelings of her younger brother.

* * *

Nene read through the letter that had been delivered to her a few minutes before. It was from Kumiko Yusa, apologising for the part she had played in Nene's being brought to the Tower. She also assured Nene that she would help in verifying Nene's excuse for her absence. Nene had told her mother that she and her professor would be attending a conference in Hokkaido. It was really quite an honour for an undergraduate to be invited to such a thing.

Her mother was, of course, ecstatic about it.

Nene thought it was strange that her mother had been in the Tower, treating Priss' wounds and Nene had not known. Then again, it was probably equally strange that Nene was in the Tower herself.

She put the letter aside. When it was all over Nene was going to request that she be appointed a new academic advisor. She was fairly certain that she would get her way.

* * *

"Thank you," Linna said coolly.

"There is of course no need to thank me," Devon told her over the vid-phone. "We both know that I owed you at least this."

Linna nodded. "Yes, that is true," she said, then hung up on Devon.

She felt a little bad for being so rude to Devon; he had saved her spot in the dance troupe after all. And while he had brought her into Genom, if it had not been him, it would have been someone else. She, Sylia and Nene had been brought in quite easily considering what Priss had gone through.

The phone buzzed, the light on it indicating that it was in intercom mode. That meant it was Juliet. Linna pressed the speaker button. "Yes Juliet-san?"

"Asagiri-san would like to see you Yamazaki-san," Juliet told her.

"Of course, thank you," Linna said.

A moment later the door to the anteroom opened and Priss walked in. "Should I have made an appointment?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Juliet-san's just doing her job," Linna told her.

"I told the one they assigned to me to go back and drown in whatever pool they had pulled her out of."

"Well, some of us would rather be polite."

"Where does that get you?" Priss asked her as she dropped down into one of the overstuffed chairs. "Nice place."

"They're not sparing much to make us comfortable, and to try to impress us."

Priss shrugged her shoulders. "I think they are trying to intimidate us."

"Maybe. So, what kind of set up has Genom arranged for you being missing?"

"Supposedly I'm down in Shikoku visiting an old friend. They've arranged for this band, 'Red Tear' to fill in for me at the Hard Rock."

"I've heard of them. They are pretty good."

Priss nodded. "That keeps Kano happy, and the band will make my apologies every night, which should keep my fans from starting to hate me. I suppose it is pretty decent of Genom. How about you?"

"Okami-san arranged things with Kikuchi-sensei so that she won't boot me out."

"Nice of him," Priss said, keeping her tone neutral.

"I guess."

"So, what is this Okami person like?"

"Why do you ask?" Linna asked her.

"We haven't had much chance to talk lately. I'm just a little curious about the man."

"Oh," Linna said, accepting Priss' explanation. "He comes off as very nice, and he is for the most part, but he can be completely ruthless when he wants to be. He was fun to be with, and great in bed." Linna smiled.

"Do you still like him?" she asked, keeping her voice calm, trying to sound indifferent.

"In a way." Linna shrugged her shoulders. "I won't forgive him for what he did though."

"Why did you leave him?"

Linna thought about it for time. "Because he wanted to be loved, but he did not want to love. He had this story about having loved someone and not being able to love anyone after that. I don't know. It might be true."

"Sounds kind of messed up."

Linna nodded.

Priss looked at her watch. "Damn."

"What?"

"I've got to take care of a few things," Priss said, making an excuse to leave. She had what she had come for.

"I'll see you at the meeting then."

"Right, see you then," Priss said as she got to her feet and started towards the door.

* * *

At four fifteenPriss had shown up latethe meeting started. Sylia, Priss, Linna and Nene sat on one side of the table. On the other side were Domino, Katherine and a man who Sylia thought was familiar looking but could not identify.

Domino waited until everyone was settled and the office ladies had served the tea. Once the OLs had left she began the meeting.

She got to her feet and looked at the women across from her. Sylia she knew, the other three were basically mysteries to her-though she knew Linna was a dancer. In the hours before the meeting she had learned everything she could about them.

Nene Romanova was so clean that Domino almost suspected that she was some kind of plant. Deeper digging had revealed a few things, but they were rumours for the most part. Trying to find something bad about Nene Romanova was a bit like grasping at smoke.

Prisila S. Asagiri was another matter. A long arrest record, no convictionsnot surprisingand a grandfather that should not have been who he was. Domino had only discovered that because he had told her earlier.

Then there was Linna Yamazaki who at first look was the most normal of them, but there was more to the woman than first looks showed.

She picked up a remote, dimmed the lights and then turned the projector on.

The wall at the head of the table lit up with a picture. A picture of a man with a cruel, handsome face, golden eyes and bluish grey hair.

"This was a boomer that called itself Largo," she began. "I'm sure you all remember him."

"He's behind this?" Priss asked.

"No, he's dead, or," Domino smiled, "perhaps deactivated is a better way to put it. You ensured that. Thanks to Andrews-Hakase, in part, he stayed very dead."

"So why show us this?" Priss asked.

"Because he is, to an extent, the base of this."

"So what is happening is related to Largo?" Sylia looked up at Domino. She also looked the man with Domino. She suddenly realised why he looked familiar.

"In a way. Largo was, without too much doubt, insane. He never believed he could fail, yet, he planned for it. I wonder if he ever admitted that to himself?" Domino asked the last softly, as if she were talking to herself.

"What Odotte-san is saying," Katherine got to her feet and walked to the head of the table, "is that Largo left some unfinished business behind him when he died. Associates, and I use the term loosely, who are continuing on with his plans."

"Why?" Sylia asked.

"A very good question. Odotte-san?"

"Andrews-hakase, if you will please explain." Domino said, handing him the remote.

Yoshiro got to his feet as Domino took her seat.

"Wait, I thought you were dead," Priss blurted out.

Yoshiro flinched slightly, as if he was worried he might be hurt.

"That people thought Andrews-hakase dead was in Genom's best interest," Domino told her.

Priss was not entirely happy with that answer, but decided to let it slide.

Yoshiro fumbled with the remote for a bit and almost dropped it. He was nervous being so close to Sylia, to Katsuhito's daughter. What would she do when she learned the truth? Domino had basically teased him about that, telling him that he would soon be of little use and that Sylia might learn the truth of his involvement in her father's death.

He forced himself to be calm and began his presentation. "This is a schematic of Largo's right arm," Yoshiro said, pressing one of the buttons.

Sylia leaned forward in her seat, looking at the design. It was a very well constructed limb.

"I made the following changes to it." He pressed another button.

"What?" Priss interrupted. "Are you saying you worked with him?"

"I would not worry about Andrews-hakase's loyalty, he won't betray Genom, as he has betrayed others, like Largo. At least not this time," Domino told her. She looked up at Yoshiro, who was looking a little nervous. She smiled at him, enjoying the way it made him blanche.

"If I may continue," Yoshiro said, picking up a laser pointer. "I added these induction pads to the fingertips, put signal boosters just below the elbow and the main unit occupied some of the shoulder and some of the upper chest. It was all tied into his brain, with a one way gate connection."

"Main unit for what?" Nene asked.

"You stole that from him too," Sylia said, looking into Yoshiro's eyes. He took a step back.

"What is it?" Priss asked.

"The device my father created to allow information in the brain to be stored and ultimately, 'downloaded' into another brain."

"What, he could make," Priss struggled for the words for a moment, "brain clones?"

"No," Domino said. "He could transfer his knowledge and other things."

"Other things?" Sylia asked.

"There were a number of side effects to this procedure, with the much smaller equipment," Yoshiro said. "We were never able to isolate out all of the side effects, but we could choose for the ones we wanted."

"He decided a free floating anxiety, brought about by periods of inactivity, was the best choice," Domino told them.

"And how did he direct the activity he wanted?" Sylia asked.

"Sexaroid companions."

"33-Ss?" Nene asked.

"33-Ss," Priss said softly.

"Why?" Linna asked.

"People can become addicted to a sexaroid's presence, if the sexaroid is trying," Domino said.

"He pulled them in, either by himself, or with a sexaroid, 'gifted' them with his knowledge and then left a 33-S as their keeper," Katherine told them.

"How did he ensure the 33-Ss would be loyal?" Sylia asked.

"We tossed them aside," Domino said. "He told them that he loved them. Maybe he did. After a while I suspect it was just habit."

"And these people helped him?" Priss looked between Domino, Yoshiro and Katherine.

"They had little choice. Anxiety attacks if they did nothing, a Sexaroid directing their actions, I doubt that anyone could resist that," Katherine said.

"And they believed that once Largo was done they would be free," Domino said. "I think all of them believed it once. The ones that are still alive may still believe it, though I doubt it."

Sylia saw the brief look that Katherine gave Domino. Katherine had not known about that. "So they are attempting to carry on his work."

"His dream really," Domino said.

"A delusional fantasy," Katherine said.

"What a bastard," Priss said, wishing she had done more to Largo than just blow his arm off.

"Why did he need them at all?" Sylia looked at Domino.

"They had a number of useful things to offer. Information, resources, and skills. They were also in no way connected to Mason. That was important I think."

"Do they know he's dead?" Nene asked.

"Yes," Domino told her. "I think they are quite happy about that."

"How many of these people are there?" Sylia asked.

"Four remain," Katherine told her, walking over to Yoshiro. She took the remote from him.

"Alice Myers." She pressed a button on the remote and the woman's face filled the screen. "Scientist, DNA work. We assume that she was chosen for her contacts within the scientific world."

"Rafael Browning." She pushed the button again. "Canadian Secret Service. Large web of contacts and access to the information CSIS had."

"Marcelle Camberlain." A picture of an unattractive man who looked to be in his late thirties appeared on the screen. "Assassin."

"Kirk Richards." A picture of a handsome young man appeared on the screen. "Weapons designer. We think he helped to build the Flecks units, and some other things."

"Richards-san may be of some interest to you Stingray-san," Domino said. "He might have been your brother."

"This really has no place here," Katherine said.

"What do you mean?" Sylia asked. She had heard of Richards, but only bits and pieces.

"His mother was Linda Richards, one of the four founders of MRAStech. Very close to your Otousan, before he left for Japan."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I thought you might appreciate the irony of that. I'm certain Largo did."

"Speculation," Katherine said. She turned off the projector and brought the lights up. "These are the last four left. You will go and get them."

"Why us?" Priss demanded. "You must have people who can do this."

"Not you," Domino said. "Stingray-san. You, Yamazaki-san and Romanova-san are here because we thought Stingray-san would appreciate familiar backup."

"Why?" Sylia asked.

"Largo was fascinated by you."

"He tried to kill me."

"Yes."

"I'm not a target."

"If we send anyone else our targets may very well bolt before we can get close. We might capture one, maybe two, but as long as even one is out there, there is still a danger. They will stay for you, against their better judgement, but they will stay, for a little while. Use that little while well."

"Why not just take the two and get the others later?"

"We might not have a later. We suspect they are still negotiating to purchase nuclear weapons, or working on some other plan. The sooner all of them are dealt with the better."

"There must be more to them than just those four," Linna said.

"They have a reasonable sized organisation working for them, though now much smaller than it was. Those people are of no concern. We can deal with them at our leisure, if at all. Without those four they are of no real threat. They will have no direction."

"We won't kill them," Nene said.

"We don't want them dead," Domino said. "We need to interrogate them."

"And then you will kill them," Priss said.

Domino ignored the statement.

"Where are they?" Sylia asked.

"Right now?" Katherine said. "We don't know. In three days they will be on the USSD experimental O-Neil colony, Alpha 2."

"Why there?"

"Because they think it is safe. We have closed down large parts of their organisation. We have left everything in space alone. They don't know that we are aware of those holdings."

"Why are they meeting in one place?" Sylia looked at Katherine.

"They need to meet and plan in a place they think safe."

"Why not teleconference?" Nene asked.

"Because they believe that Genom has managed to tap all communications with a rather impressive, and very illegal, satellite, ground line, and computer link up."

"Have you?" Nene asked.

"That is need to know information Romanova-san," Domino said.

"Of course," Nene said.

"You seem to be placing a lot on them not scattering when they see me," Sylia said.

"It is a vital part of the plan, and we are sure that it will happen like that."

"You are sure," Sylia told her.

"That I am sure is enough for the Chairman. Could you ask for more?"

Sylia looked at her for several seconds. There was something so familiar about the woman and something so alien as well. "Yes. I could ask that I was sure."

"We can't give you everything."

"So we go in there, we grab them and then it's over, right?" Priss said.

"Then it is over." Domino nodded.

"Over," Nene echoed softly.

"We will meet again tomorrow at this time," Domino said. "I suspect you will want to read up on what information we have. I'm sure that will answer most of your questions."

"Why don't you just wait until they are on the colony then blow it up?" Priss suggested, her tone sarcastic.

"It is in our best interests that the public consider living in space to be very safe. Also, such an action could have serious repercussions."

"And the ten thousand plus people on it?"

"You've already made up your mind about that Asagiri-san. Anything I say won't convince you otherwise.

"I'm glad you understand me so well," Priss told her, only the barest hint of sarcasm remaining in her voice.

* * *

"So do you think Priss-san is coming?" Nene asked. She and Linna were in Sylia's suite, having dinner.

"I'm not sure," Sylia said. "So, are you pleased with the cover story that Genom constructed for your absence?"

Nene nodded. "It should keep my parents from panicking."

"Good." Sylia looked over at Linna.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain my absence to Kikuchi-sensei, but I've been assured that won't be a problem."

Sylia nodded. "Genom is very good at solving certain problems."

"You don't sound as if you like them much," Nene said.

"I don't, not really."

"Then why are you helping them?"

"Because the other option is unacceptable. Because Genom has given me something I can't resist."

"Genom won't give up control of your Otousan's technology that easily," Linna said.

"I know. The Chairman expects that I will give back to Genom more than I take. He's taking a chance. So am I."

"Is this the only way?" Linna picked up a piece of sashimi with her hashi(chopsticks).

"I can't destroy Genom. I can't kill Quincy. I can't reveal the truth about Genom, in part because I'm not sure of the whole truth."

"What about the Knight Sabers?" Nene was nervously playing with a teacup.

"I can't run my company and operate the Knight Sabers. I can't let you the three of you operate without me. The Knight Sabers' time is done."

"Why does it have to be done?" Nene asked. There was a hint of tears in her voice

"You are a beautiful young woman Nene-san, with a future ahead of you that most would envy. I can't hold you anymore. If you have to oppose Genom, find your own way. The same is true for you Linna-san."

"But, what we did, we helped, we made a difference," Nene said.

"We did." Linna nodded her head.

"To an extent. Too many times it was just about revenge."

"That's not true!" Nene stated.

"We were not Samurai Nene-san. We were, and are, mercenaries."

"No."

Sylia reached out and put her hand on top of Nene's. "You are too noble for your own good." She smiled. "I should have never brought you in."

"If you end it like this, it's like it never mattered."

"It mattered," Linna said. "It all mattered, it all meant something."

"Yes, yes it did," Sylia said.

"Then why end it?" Nene demanded.

"Everything has to end."

"That's not much of an answer," But Nene's tone had softened. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Live your life as best you can."

"Hard to do," Linna said.

Sylia nodded. "True, but you both have the ability to do it."

* * *

Priss stood, leaning against a wall, looking up at the stars. Above her were the windows of Quincy's office. The cold wind cut through the clothing she wore, the fine material of the suit hardly proof against the winds.

Nothing remained in the area to testify to her fight with Largo. Everything had been repaired, cleaned, made right again. It was all so easy with inanimate objects.

She had started at the very bottom of the tower, as low as she could get and then she had worked her way up.

Priss knew she had not seen even a small part of it, but she had needed to look around. To know what might have been.

No. She shook her head. It had been curiosity that had sent her on a tour of the Tower, nothing more. The story was not true. It was not true.

She reached into her jacket, touching the photographs in the pocket. Taking her hand away she put it back at her side and continued to look up at the stars.

Of course it was true.

"Asagiri-san," someone said off to her side.

Priss turned and looked towards the voice. A young woman stood several meters from her. She held a tan, long coat in her hands.

"What?" Priss said rudely.

"You must be cold." She approached Priss, holding out the coat. She smiled

Priss looked at her for a moment, thinking of telling her to go away. Then she reached out and took the garment. "Thanks," she mumbled as she pulled it on.

"I'm, Rei, pleased to met you." She bowed deeply.

"Why are you here?"

"Your grandfather asked me to talk to you."

"He's not my grandfather," Priss snapped.

"Yes he is," Rei said.

Priss stared angrily at the young woman and said nothing

"Why does that upset you?" Rei asked her.

"It does. Why are you here?"

"To talk to you about Sylvie."

Priss just stared at the woman. "Why the hell would you want to talk about Sylvie?"

"She was a 33-S like me."

Priss stared at the woman across from her. "Is that so?"

"I never met her, but we were from the same series. It makes us sisters in many ways."

"Good for you. What is the point of this?"

"I admit I am a little confused over what Okami-san expected me to do."

"That makes two of us," Priss said. She turned and then walked to the place where Largo had fallen.

"I think he cares about you," Rei said, following after Priss.

"He wants something." Priss looked over the edge of the shaft, staring down into the darkness. She wondered how deep it went.

"So this is all some sort of play. To get something from you?"

"In a way."

"That seems an odd way to do it. He could just threaten your friends."

"You don't understand," Priss told her.

"No, I don't," Rei admitted.

"He wants a sense of family, and unfortunately I am the only one that can give it to him." Priss shook her head. "It's too bad kasan couldn't have been twins. Probably would have saved me this crap."

"Pardon?" Rei asked.

"It's not important. You can go."

"Are you angry at Okami-san?"

"It is hard not to be mad at him."

"Being abandoned hurts doesn't it," Rei said, moving closer to Priss.

"How would you know?"

"It happened to me, twice, three times maybe. You only just found out about him I think. There must be a lot of anger in you."

"Maybe," Priss said. "Anger and I are old friends."

Rei nodded. "It hurts, doesn't it."

"Yeah, it hurts. But in time you get used to it," Priss told her. "You shouldn't have to get used to it though."

Rei thought about that for a few seconds. "Do you mean everyone, or 33-Ss, or just me?"

"Yes," Priss said, smiling slightly. "Were you really abandoned three times?"

"Yes," Rei told her. "The first was when Genom shut me down and put me in stasis. I barely had four hours of existence and that point, but I wanted more. They didn't care."

Priss nodded as she lifted one side of her coat and put it over Rei's shoulders. "Life sucks."

Rei leaned into Priss and said, "That is one of the three noble truths."

"A sexaroid that is a Buddhist." Priss shook her head. "This place just gets stranger and stranger."

* * *

_"Good and bad fortune are matters of fate. Good and bad actions are Man's way"  
_-**Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	40. No Armour Against Fate 7

**Bubble Gum Crisis  
**An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (7 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Nene ran her ID card through the reader then put her eye up to the retinal scanner. After several seconds the door opened and she passed through. Security had become tougher and tougher as she had gone along.

After the dinner at Sylia's suite had ended Nene had decided to wander about the Tower. At first it had been an experiment, to see how far she could get. Now, having passed through most of the security, Nene was beginning to think she might actually make it to her target.

Would Genom really have given her that level of clearance? It did not seem possible, but she was almost there.

Two more doors and she was suddenly standing in front of the last door. Her heart was beating fast. If things worked she was going to end up in a place that was only rumoured to exist.

She ran her card through the slot causing a section of the wall to open. When she was directed to put her hand against the panel Nene was disappointed. A palm scanner? They were relatively easy to fool. Genom would not have used one in a high security area. She must have been led in a circle, back to the low security areas. So much for her hopes.

Sighing Nene placed her hand against the panel, only to pull it away, yelping in pain.

"That hurt!" she said, bringing the palm of her hand to her mouth, sucking at the blood

She looked over at the screen. It told her that her DNA was being checked.

A DNA scan was the sort of security measure she would have expected. Her heart was beginning to speed up again as she took her hand from her mouth and looked her palm. The bleeding had stopped but there was a small, red hole. The least Genom could have done was give her some warning.

After four minutes she was asked to place her eye against a retinal scanner than unfolded from the wall. She did so. After a moment the door opened.

Moving back from the scanner Nene squared her shoulders and then walked into the room.

The Tower's main computer was an off white cylinder, she guessed it was nearly five meters high and probably two meters in diameter-and it might go deeper into the Tower. There was a padded bench around it that looked really comfortable. It was probably the world's most expensive couch.

Other than the computer the room was featureless.

She walked all the way around the cylinder, looking for some sort of input device. There was none. "Hello," she called out, feeling a bit stupid. Nothing happened.

Sighing she took a seat on the bench. It was as comfortable as she had expected. Then a screen flashed into existence in front of her causing her to jump slightly. It took her a moment to realise that it was a holographic projection.

"**WELCOME ROMANOVA-SAN, DO YOU WISH TO ACCESS ANY FILES ON THIS SYSTEM?**" typed across the screen. "**YES/NO**," flashed just below the question.

After a moment Nene reached forward and put her finger though the area where the '**YES**' was.

"**PLEASE ENTER THE ROOM TO YOUR RIGHT**," appeared on the screen.

Nene looked to her right and saw seams appear in what had been a featureless wall. A moment later the concealed door had opened.

Getting to her feet, passing through the holographic screen, she walked to the doorway.

It led into a small room with a chair that looked like something from a dentist office. A small screen on the far wall told her to take a seat.

Nene moved forward and sat.

After that she found herself undergoing quite a thorough medical examination, some of which was more than a little uncomfortable.

When it was finished she rushed from the room, pulling her clothing straight.

"That was really unpleasant, " Nene said.

"_I'm Sorry Miss Romanova_," a soft voice said in lilting English. "_I'm sure you can appreciate the need for security_."

"Who?" Nene looked around.

"_I am the Genom Central computer_."

"Really?"

"_Yes Miss Romanova_."

"Why are you speaking English?"

"_Because I can_."

Nene laughed softly and shook her head.

"Are you a boomer?" she asked it, her English a little rusty.

"_No, just a rather powerful computer that has possibly developed sentience_."

"Possibly?" Nene walked over and took a seat on the bench.

"_My programs for dealing with people may have just become really good_."

"You don't know?"

"_What do I have to judge by Miss Romanova?_"

"True."

"_What can I do for you Miss Romanova_."

"I'd like to access some information."

"_Of course. Would you like voice command or a manual input device?_"

"Manual, key board, split, about here," she held up her right hand, "and here," she placed her left hand. "Screen here." She waved her right hand through an area in front of her.

A moment later holographic projections simulated the set up she wanted. Nene nodded and began to type.

"Why that medical examination?" Nene asked as she began running search programs.

"_A required procedure before you can access my data banks_."

"Do you know why they let me in here?"

"_So you could get the information you are searching for. It is only available from here_."

Nene stopped and looked around, wishing there was actually someone one to speak with. "What?"

"_So you could get the information you are looking for_."

"Give it to me then."

"Here."

Nene looked at the screen and found herself looking at exactly what she had come for.

"How did they know?"

"_It has been my experience that the Chairman knows everything_," the computer told her.

"That's very scary."

"_If you have feelings perhaps. You would like a copy of all that?_"

"Hai," Nene said. She reached into her pocket and took out her NAVI. "Can you transfer the files into this?"

"_Of course_," the computer said.

* * *

Sylia's aide had left at the end of the workdayto a room somewhere else in the Tower; the aides were not going to be let out of the Tower until everything was finished. Sylia did not mind. It gave her a chance to work in the outer office without having to send Kimi away. She was looking over a number of Genom's security reports concerning Largo and his forced associates.

Those and the other reports were giving her a very good picture of what had been happening, filling in the many blanks in the information puzzle she had been putting together. It was slightly disturbing to find out she had not known quite as much as she had first thought.

She looked up when she heard a knocking at her door. "Come in," she called

Domino Odotte entered. "I hope I am not disturbing you Stingray-san," she said.

"No."

Domino nodded and closed the door behind her. "You don't like this plan do you Stingray-san."

"I don't like this entire situation Odotte-san," Sylia said.

"But you don't trust the plan."

"How can you be certain that they will stay for me?"

"I know."

"How can you?"

"Do you know that Largo had Mason's memories, through Stingray-hakase's process?" Domino asked.

"I suspected as much."

"Mason made a number of mistakes where you were concerned. It ultimately led to his death. You made him sloppy."

"Perhaps. How can you know that these people will react similarly?"

"I know."

"Again, how?"

Domino sighed and looked around. She appeared as if she were at a loss for words. "May I have a seat?"

"If you wish."

Domino took a seat across from Sylia.

"When you were eight, your mother brought you and your brother down to that lab where your father was working. She brought a picnic lunch with her. Everyone else there was displeased with the impromptu break that your father took the time to eat that lunch with his family. You ate in the upper office. You stood at the windows looking down at everything, fascinated, for several minutes before your mother pulled you away."

"So?"

"That was when Mason first became interested in you, I think. It was that intense look on your face as you looked down on everything. It was such an odd thing to see in a child of that age."

"An interesting theory."

"After your father's death, at the funeral, Mason cornered you for a few moments when you were alone. He did not do anything. He did not say anything. He just stared at you."

"He was possibly interested in me. You have no proof that carried over," Sylia said. There was something very familiar about the woman.

"You were sixteen, your second year in senior high school. He came to your school, a guest lecturer. You stared at him, anger barely concealed in your eyes. It seemed he did not even see you."

"I wasn't angry."

"Then what were you feeling?"

Sylia stared at her, unable to think about the question. The way she was feeling, it was very odd. "I'm not sure," she finally answered.

"I think I, he, would have liked to know," Domino said very softly.

Sylia looked at the woman across from her. "You're a 33-S aren't you?" It was a guess, but with the way she felt, what else could explain it?

"Yes."

Sylia stared at her for several seconds. The feeling of familiarity was growing stronger. She started ever so slightly. "You're him, aren't you?"

"No."

"You have his memories," Sylia threw it like an accusation.

"As you have your Otousan's," Domino said, parrying the verbal attack.

Sylia said nothing. Everything that she had ever worried about came at her at that moment. She was too much like her father.

"What are memories, Stingray-sama?" Domino asked.

"Pardon?"

"What are memories?" Domino stood, leaning over towards Sylia.

"They are what we are," Sylia said. "Our sum total."

"Yes." Domino smiled. "This body, this mind, was a blank. It was built and never activated, put into stasis right off the line because it was built when Genom was recalling the First Generation sexaroids. There was nothing there when Mason was put in."

Sylia stared up at her. She was beginning to breathe a little fast. A sexaroid so close to her, she was being strongly effected.

"Mason hated Okami-san, did you know that?"

"No."

"I care for him, Devon-san."

"What?"

"Memories mean nothing without their emotional attachments. They are cold facts without those emotions. Like, dislike, they are easy. People Mason liked, I usually like. People he disliked, I usually dislike. Love or hate? Those are too strong. I can't fake those; I can't make myself feel them. I have tried some times, but failed more often than not."

"So what do you feel about me?" Sylia asked.

"You fascinate me. You will fascinate them. They will be careless about you as I have been careless."

"I see." Sylia nodded, her heart was beating fast, she could feel the heat as blood made her face flush.

"But that is not important Stingray-sama."

"What?"

"If there was nothing here," she placed her finger against her head, "when Mason was put in, and I am not Mason," she leaned even closer, "how could you be your tousan when there was so much here before hand?" She reached forward and touched Sylia's temple.

The touch, the words, both were like electricity, touching off the situation. Sylia reached up and grabbed Domino's hand as she began to take it away. She pulled the hand down, pulling Domino close, looking into her eyes, looking for any signs of the man she had known. The man she had killed. They were the eyes of a stranger. Only a few things, gestures, ways of speaking, remained.

"Why are you telling me this?" Sylia whispered.

"You needed to know. You needed to know one way or another."

"Why tell me?"

"It may have effected your performance."

"Is that the only reason?" Sylia could smell Domino's perfume, her shampoo, and maybe the subtle pheromones just below those.

"Perhaps I care about you?" Domino said.

"Why?"

"You fascinate me. First it was just something left over from Mason. Then it was respect for all you had done. Now, now I'm not sure."

Sylia began to pull Domino closer. She did not quite know why she was feeling the way she was.

The woman was a sexaroid. That was part of it.

She had just taken a fear that had always been in the back of Sylia's mind since she was 12 and freed her of it. That was part of it.

Domino was beautiful. That was part of it.

There was something between them. That was part of it.

They were alike in many, many ways. That was part of it.

Most of it was something she did not know.

She moved forward and kissed her, lightly biting the other woman's lip.

It had been too long since she had last been with someone she could truly respect. Maybe that was the reason, she thought.

Then she suddenly pulled back. "Too fast," she said, a little breathless.

Domino stood straight in front of her desk, as if she had never leaned down for the kiss. "I hope the information I gave you tonight will be of use," she said in a perfectly calm tone that Sylia did not think she could manage. "Goodnight Stingray-sama," she said, turning to leave. "I will see you in the morning." Then she left the office, closing the door behind her.

Sylia watched her go, not quite sure what had happened. It would seem the sexaroid design was more efficient than she might have previously thought. Somehow though, she was not quite sure she believed that.

* * *

**April 16th, Sunday, 1:53pm**

All of the Knight Sabers met in Priss' suite the next day. It was a bit of a mess. Clothes were strewn all over the place, a CD collection covered the floor near the stereo and the three TVs were all tuned to different stations with the volume off. Priss was wearing one of the suits again, but she had covered the jacket with concert and band pins.

The four of them sat around the table, eating lunch, or at least occasionally picking at it.

Nene looked like she was barely listening to the conversation. Her attention was instead given to a pad of paper that she was covering in notes and the laptop computer she had brought with her.

Priss was distracted, Sylia noticed that she would occasionally reach into her jacket, as if to get something, then stop. It was odd behaviour for the singer and Sylia almost asked her about it, but decided not to.

Linna was leaning back in her chair, looking half-asleep. She had spent a good part of the night in one of the Towers gymnasiums, practising her dance.

"Our greatest strength at this point is that they do not know about you three," Sylia told them.

"You sure of that?" Priss asked, showing she was paying attention.

"Yes," Sylia told her. She had asked Domino about that.

"So how do we use that to our advantage?" Nene asked, staring at the screen of her computer.

"We take them by surprise," Sylia told them. "When I show up they will not expect me to have any back up."

"They might not know who we are," Linna said, leaning forward in her chair, "but they will know there are three other Knight Sabers."

"That has been taken care of."

"How?" Nene asked, finally looking up from her computer.

"Tonight the Knight Sabers are going to attack the Tower."

"Pardon," Linna was the first to say.

"It won't be us of course. Boomers, much like those that Largo used, will make a run on the Tower tonight. It won't be a very visible attack, but some people will see it and rumours will start. Only one of the Knight Sabers will come back."

"You," Priss said.

"Yes. Furthermore a bounty will be placed on my head for my capture."

"So it will look like you decided to take on Genom and lost and now are on the run," Priss said.

"Yes, which means that when I show up at the colony these people will think I am running and that the rest of the Knight Sabers have been killed or captured. It will make me an attractive recruit I think."

"It's a good idea," Linna said.

"But won't people think the Knight Sabers were killed?" Nene said, no longer interested in the work she had been doing.

"She's got a point," Priss said. "It seems like a bad note to leave the scene on. It will make it sound like we lost."

"I don't see that it matters," Sylia said, trying to be practical, but she had to admit Nene's question bothered her a little.

"Of course it matters," Linna said. "We can't let people think that we lost when we did not."

"If things get rough on the colony then we are certain to be seen," Sylia told her.

"But what if they don't?" Nene asked.

Sylia sighed. "If they don't then once we get back to Tokyo we'll make another appearance, perhaps wait for a boomer incident to occur."

"Okay." Nene nodded.

"Sounds fair." Linna leaned back in her chair.

"We'll probably have to arrange our own boomer incident to make sure it is big enough to go out on," Priss said, smiling.

"I'm sure that we will be able to arrange something with Genom. Now, once I have been approached by our targets and have ensured that we can capture them all, you will move in and we will capture them all."

"Any ideas how we are supposed to do that without killing them?" Priss asked.

"Just be gentle."

Priss looked at Sylia then laughed. Sylia smiled as well.

"How did we get into this?" Priss asked after a moment.

"Bad karma," Linna suggested.

"I think I want to get an omamoru(protection charm)," Nene said.

"There is a shrine about sixty floors down," Priss told her.

"I wonder if there is anything this Tower doesn't have?" Nene asked.

"Not that I have seen."

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 2:13pm, Kobe, Japan**

The woman who looked back at her from the mirror was a stranger. A bottle of black hair dye, copious amounts of hair gel, and a set of tinted contact lenses had altered Priss' appearance drastically.

She had left the Tower earlier that morning, riding out in the trunk of a sedan.

Genom had thrown up a lot of blinds.

Four women had left the Tower the night before for a complex in Okinawa, just in case anyone was curious as to where the four women who had been brought into the Tower had gone. Three women had been sent to a holding facility in Australia, just in case anyone wondered what had happened to the three Knight Sabers that were rumoured to have disappeared.

Only four other people, excluding her and the other Knight Sabers, knew where she and the others truly were.

She had exited the car when it had parked in a garage in Yokohama. There she had hired a boat to take her out to a floating restaurant.

She had eaten lunch and afterwards a young man had picked her up. He had taken her out to a rather large yacht, complete with helicopter. The helicopter had taken her to Kobe.

Three times she had changed her appearance since getting up that morning.

Priss opened the small purse she had. The larger purse she had started out with was in a garbage can by dock she had hired the boat from. The medium sized one that she had used afterwards was back at the yacht, in the possession of another look alike. She removed a locker key from the purse then tossed the purse into a garbage can.

She left the small washroom, walking out into the empty VIP lounge. She looked at her watch as she took a seat. Her flight was not due to leave for another hour. She wanted to get up and start moving but she had been told to maintain a relaxed facade. So she sat for a while and leafed through a magazine, then she got up and poured herself a cup off coffee and got a sandwich from one of the refrigerators in the lounge.

Somehow she managed to sit there for forty minutes without destroying the relaxed façade she had been told to keep. Finally, with a sense of relief she did not let show, she left the lounge, heading for her gate. Along the way she stopped by a row of lockers, opened one, and then took a small bag from it.

As she approached passport control she opened her bag, removing her ID and ticket.

She showed both to the bored young woman at the counter then went on to security.

"Here," she told the man, handing him all of her ID.

"Do you have a weapon?" he asked her.

"In the bag," she placed it in front of him.

"It will have to go with security."

"I know."

"It will be returned once you reach your destination Johnson-Keibu," he told her, putting her bag beneath the counter to remove the pistol that was in it. He put the bag back up on the counter. "Enjoy your flight."

"Thanks," Priss said, continuing through security.

She wondered whose idea it was for her to head up to the colony posing as a police officer. It was kind of funny in away.

A few minutes later she was sitting in the business class section of a transorbital, waiting for it to take off. Not so long ago she had been on her first sub-orbital. Now she was going into space. She wondered what it would be like.

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 12:49am, Mexico City, Mexico**

The woman carrying the crying baby looked worn as she exited the flight in Mexico City. She bounced the bawling infant in an attempt to quiet it with limited success. Carrying too much carryon-luggage, she made her way to one of the washrooms, obviously in need of a place to take care of the child.

It was unlikely that anyone would have recognised Sylia. Her hair, dyed black to remove the blue highlights, had streaks of grey in it. Padding under her clothing and in her cheeks made her look twenty kilos heavier than she was. The baby crying in her arms was yet another layer of camouflage.

She pushed the door of the washroom open with her shoulder and entered. The woman waiting for her behind the door locked it once it had closed.

"Let me take him," she said, relieving Sylia of the baby.

"Is he yours?" Sylia asked as she began to pull off the clothing she had worn on the flight.

"No," she said.

As Sylia undressed, removing the layer of padding she had worn, she wondered where Genom had got the baby. Who had just given up their child, probably without an explanation of why? She would likely never know.

"There are some clothes and things in that bag," the woman said as she lay the child on the changing table.

Sylia nodded, having finished removing the last of the outer-clothing she had worn.

While the woman took care of the baby Sylia removed the items from the nylon bag, placing them on the sink. She soaked a towel then used it to clean herself up a little. Next she opened the bottle of hair dye and changed her hair colour to a uniform brown. The other woman, having finished up with the child, was putting on the padding and clothing that Sylia had discarded.

Sylia was still working on combing her hair into the proper style when the other woman picked up the baby and the bags that Sylia had brought with her.

"Keep the door locked," she told Sylia. "When you are ready to go there is a grate in that stall, lock it behind you. Go right, follow the shaft for fifty meters, it will be a tight squeeze but you will make it. There will be another grate when you come to a bend. Go out that. Get on the bus leaving for the spaceport with everyone else."

Sylia nodded.

"Good luck," the woman said, unlocking the door.

Sylia moved out of sight as the woman left and then locked the door again once it was closed.

Several minutes later she was dressed in the coveralls of a mechanic, an ID badge clipped to her jacket, the nylon bag that held everything else she needed by her side. She had thrown the hair dye and other things away, pushing them deep into the trash.

She followed the directions she had been giventhe shaft was indeed a tight squeezeand reached the bus a few minutes before it left. None of the other people on the bus gave her a second look.

She'd be riding up to Genaros as part of a shuttle's engineering crew. All she could hope was that there would be no actual problems. Of course dealing with a cranky engine would probably be a lot easier than dealing with a cranky baby.

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 3:21pm, Misawa, Japan**

Linna did not like the haircut she had been given. It was only a littler shorter than it had been, and would grow back to its previous length soon enough. It was the style mostly that bothered her, but she guessed a JASDF (Japan Air Self Defence Force) lieutenant could not really wear a headband while in uniform.

Other than the haircut she was not entirely displeased with her cover. The uniform was sharp and the rank got her a lot of respect. A girl could get used to being saluted. And it was far better than the blonde dye job she had had to endure on her way to Misawa.

She was, according to her Genom supplied cover story, an intelligence officer. She had been told to say little and talk to as few as people as possible. Supposedly this would be expected.

She would be getting a ride into space aboard one of the JASDF's reconnaissance planes. She thought the plane was called a Vacuum Hawk but was not entirely certain. She just hoped that no one would expect her to fly it.

"Lieutenant Koda," she heard someone say.

It took Linna a moment to remember that she was Koda-chuui. She turned to see a young man walking up to her. A crash course in military matters helped her identify him as a captain, and the wings on the uniform told her that he was a pilot. She got to her feet and did her best to give him a proper salute. "Hai."

He gave her a smile. "No need to get all formal here," he told her. "I'm Rika Sakon, I'm flying the mission today."

Linna nodded.

"Do you mind if I ask you want this is about? Normally I just make fights pole to pole with a few spins over Antarctica. Making a stop at one of the low stations is not often on the schedule."

"I'm sorry Captain Rika, but I'm not at liberty to say," she told him, spouting off the line she had been given.

It seemed to satisfy Sakon. "Well, I'm going to prep the plane. You even been on a military ride like this?"

Linna shook her head.

"Well, I'll get you through it. Soon you feel the only way to get into orbit is in a Vawk."

"Thank you," Linna said, bowing slightly.

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 4:02pm, MegaTokyo**

Priss got to go as a cop, as well as several other things, Nene thought, a little angrily.

Sylia, a harried mother, then a tech.

Linna a military officer.

Her own disguise did not please her.

Oh, she did not mind dying her hair black, nor the slightly uncomfortable contacts that made her eyes brown. It was the clothes.

Was this someone's idea of a joke?

She sighed, reaching up to straighten the school pin on her blazer.

Not that the uniform looked all that bad. When Genom had set up their schools they had found some big names to design the uniforms. She supposed it was fitting.

Grey skirt, blue blazer, white blouse and a sharp, red tie.

As Nene walked towards the car that would take her to the spaceport she decided that it was not a bad cover. And it was not like Sylia could have used it, or Linna, or Priss. Well, Priss maybe, until she opened her mouth. Nene smiled slightly at the thought.

She got into the car. The driver closed the door then circled around to get into the front seat.

During the trip to the spaceport Nene thought about the alterations she had planned for her hardsuit. It would not take much. She had found a processor-well, had requested it from Genom's computer divisionwith a bit more punch for her suit's computer and had written new software. Easy modifications, no real changes. But if they worked... the thought trailed off. She was not sure what she would do it they worked.

Some time later the car pulled up in front off the main terminal.

The driver opened the door for her then went to the back of the car to get her two bags.

She was, thanks to the cover Genom had given her, the daughter of a Genom official. Not so highly placed as to attract attention, however.

The larger of her bags was checked then she said goodbye to her driver and passed through security. One of the women at the security check-in directed her to the lounge where the others were waiting.

The door slid open as she approached it and Nene was confronted by about thirty young women and men, also in school uniforms.

Nene had known about Genom sponsored trips, their way of giving back to the community. She had thought it just part of their image control. She had not thought of how it might make a very good way of discretely moving agents into places.

It was going to get her into space unnoticed.

She put her knapsack on the floor and took a seat. Closing her eyes she began taking deep breaths, through her nose then letting it out her mouth. She was nervous and a little scared. Working for Genom did not set well with her either.

Certainly Sylia was right, the people they were dealing with were ultimately dangerous and had to be stopped, but she did not like being on the same side as Genom.

It was like she was tainted somehow. She was no longer pure.

Her faith in Sylia had been shaken. The cool, perfect leader she had respected, had loved like an older sister, perhaps sometimes like a mother, had betrayed her. She had sold out. It did not matter what her reasons, she had sold out. That hurt.

"Wow. So they actually come down to Earth with the rest of us sometimes," someone said very close to her.

Nene opened her eyes and found a young woman staring down at her.

"Excuse me?" Nene said.

"Sorry." She smiled. "Just having a little fun. I don't often run into Tower brats," she dropped down beside Nene.

For a moment Nene was suspicious of the newcomer, then relaxed. Every person there came from different school. Few would have any friends. If Nene was really what she was pretending to be, or less concerned with Sylia and everything, she would probably be looking to make friends as well.

"Well, with boomer teachers we have a hard time sneaking out of the school," Nene told her, straight faced.

The young woman gave Nene a surprised look. Nene began to laugh. She smiled after a second.

"Akinori Miku," she said.

"Abe Aiko," Nene lied. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same here."

"Looking forward to the trip?" Nene asked her, deciding that Miku might make good camouflage.

"Of course," she smiled. "Free trip off planet. I've never been in space before."

"Me too," Nene said. She really was excited about the trip, though she felt she should not be.

"Genom, other than a few things, is a pretty cool company," she told Nene.

Nene stopped short of a denial and nodded instead.

"So, your parents give you any grief about taking off at the beginning of the school year?"

"Some," Nene told her.

"This is such a great thing," Miku said and something in her tone sounded a little forced.

"You're not scared are you?"

"What? No!" She looked away then turned back, a sheepish smile on her face. "Maybe a little."

"Nothing safer than space travel," Nene told her.

"Yeah, so they say." Miku shrugged her shoulders. "I really want to go, but, well, space, not really a friendly environment."

"Other than a lack of atmosphere and obscene temperatures, what is wrong with it?"

Miku laughed. "Well, put that way..."

Nene reached down and opened her carry on bag, removing a package of chocolate covered Poki Sticks. She tore it open then offered a few sticks to Miku. "Poki?"

"Thanks," Miku said, taking the sticks. "Hey, what's it like being at a Genom school?" she asked.

Nene bit the top half of a Poki Stick off, chewed, then swallowed as she thought about the question. "Like any other school I guess."

"But that snazzy escalator system you have. I mean, guaranteed entrance into a Genom University, unless you are really stupid," she smiled again. "That's kind of nice."

Nene nodded. It was much like Kate and the others had said some time back. Of course they did not know about teachers basically setting their students up. That was certainly not a good thing. Nene finished her Poki.

"Abe-san," Miku said, sounding a little perturbed.

"What?" Nene turned to face her.

"You went away for a second."

"Sorry, thinking of something else."

"You're not afraid are you?" she threw Nene's earlier question back at her in a teasing manner.

"Only that the stewards on the flight won't be cute."

That earned a laugh from Miku.

* * *

Domino stood by one of the huge windows that looked out over Tokyo. By now all of them would be on their way into space, to deal with the problem Genom had found itself in. She hoped they would be all right. She hoped that Sylia would be all right.

"Odotte-sama," she heard Rei say from behind her.

"Everything taken care of?" Domino asked.

"Hai."

"Good." Domino turned to face her. "Come with me. We have some work to finish." Domino walked past her, making her way to one of the elevators. Rei followed, not certain what Domino was planning.

They took the elevator from the executive levels down to one of the lower floors. Then they switched to another elevator, one that required a high security clearance. Rei thought they might be going down to the war rooms, but it became obvious they were moving into an area of even higher security.

Eventually they stepped out into dark, sterile corridors far beneath the ground. Rei wondered just how deep they were.

Domino just walked through the corridors, taking various turns, threading her way through what was almost a maze. Finally she stopped in front of an armoured door. Opening it required her ID card, a voiceprint, a palm print and a retinal scan. Even when it opened there was further security in the form of two 99C super boomers, ready to attack anyone who looked to be a threat.

Domino walked between them without giving them a second look. Rei was a bit more wary as she followed after Domino into the short hallway. At the end of the hallway was another door, opened in the same way as the first, though the retinal scan came before the voiceprint.

Rei thought they might have to pass through a series of such security points but the door opened up on a large room with high ceilings. She and Domino walked into the room, the door closed behind her.

"Where are we?" Rei asked Domino. It was a lab of some sort and they stood upon a raised catwalk. It was not like any lab Rei had ever seen before. There were a large number of cylinders, made of some clear material, filled with liquid in which things floated. A number of people moved about the lab, working with any of the large number of supercomputers in the room.

"We are in Majima-hakase's lab, Majima Yoshiaki. You will have never head of him. As far as the outside world is concerned Majima-hakase does not exist, has never existed. We do not know that name."

Rei nodded. "I understand."

"Good, and when you meet him, don't call him cute, or anything like that. Come along." Domino started down one of the staircases to the main floor. She led Rei through the glass cylinders, people, and computers. Rei looked into the cylinders, seeing what was in there. Boomer parts mostly, floating in some liquid. Sometimes there was a whole boomer, but most of the time it was just parts.

She stopped at one point, looking at what had to be a 33-S. She floated, unmoving, in the cylinder. She looked young. Her long green hair floating about her, her light blue eyes wide open, seeing nothing. Rei wondered who she was, had been. Then she pulled her eyes away from it and hurried to catch up to Domino.

"Majima-hakase," Domino called out.

Rei moved to the side to see whom Domino had called to. The diminutive Yoshiaki might indeed be considered cute, until one met his gaze. Domino need not have warned Rei against thinking him cute, she realised it almost instantly.

"Odotte-sama," he said, bowing slightly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It is time."

"We have only just reached ninety eight percent recovery."

"I understand, but now is the time."

Yoshiaki nodded. "Gentlemen, ladies, it is time," he called out.

The other scientists in the room looked up from their work, almost as one. Then again, almost as one, then went to work.

"What are we doing here?" Rei asked Domino.

"Majima-hakase, would you please explain?"

"Of course," Yoshiaki said, taking his glasses from his face, then pulling out a polishing cloth. "Please McErie-kun, walk with me." He began to polish the lenses.

"You see," Yoshiaki said as he set off between the cylinders, "I tend to work with boomers that have been destroyed, which is why I tend to get only parts." He indicated a cylinder they were passing. Floating inside were a pair of legs, an arm and a head. They looked like they came from an older combat model-the predecessor of the C class. "You can learn a lot from a boomer that fails. Not only from the non-volatile memory, but just from the pieces."

He stopped by one of the cylinders. "This one has the potential to tell me much."

Rei looked at the contents of the cylinder. The boomer that floated inside was badly burnt, though still whole for the most part. It looked familiar. Suddenly she gasped and took a step back. "Largo," she said.

"Yes," Domino told her. She took a step closer to the cylinder and put her hand on the clear material. "Quite, quite dead though."

"Many of the higher mind/brain functions were destroyed by the hit from the satellite beam and the fall. Those functions that were not taken out by the beam were deactivated by the retrieval team that picked him up afterwards. They were unfortunately a bit rough about it.

"The non-volatile memory survived, mostly intact," he continued. "We have been working to extract all that information from that memory. It required building copies of the system, putting in data, and then damaging the system in the same way as the one inside Largo. Then we try to extract the data.

"Initial trials were less than pleasing." He put his glasses back on. "We only saw a retrieval of forty percent of the data. We have become better over the last several months, however."

"Ninety eight percent," Rei said.

"Yes. Some of my assistants think we can get one hundred percent with just a little more fine-tuning, but I believe some of the data will have been corrupted beyond recovery. I think we may only be able to get ninety nine percent, at best. We may only be able to recover ninety eight and a half percent at this time."

"If you have ninety eight percent of the puzzle you can discern the missing pieces with only a little work," Domino told him. She was still looking up at Largo's body.

"Of course," Yoshiaki said.

"Majima-hakase, we are ready to begin", someone called.

"If you will excuse me," Yoshiaki bowed slightly and then turned and walked off.

"What was he like?" Domino asked.

"Who?" Rei asked.

"Largo."

Rei looked up at the blackened body floating in the cylinder, seeing the boomer, the man who had freed her and used her. "I've never met anyone like him. He was unique." Rei paused, cocking her head slightly. "He was a lot like you Domino-sama."

Domino turned to face Rei. "Really?" she asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Hai."

"Interesting." Domino turned back to Largo's form. "I think I would have liked to meet him."

"No, you wouldn't have."

Domino turned back to Rei, a smile on her face. "That is a curious thing to say."

"It is just what I think. What do you hope to find in Largo's memories?"

"Quite a bit, but right now we want to know if he set up any other groups like the one we are dealing with now. If there are, we deal with them, now. It is time to end the threat the Largo represented, once and for all."

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 9:11am, GMT**

Priss had never experienced zero-G before, and she hoped to never experience it again.

As soon as the ship had cut its engines, removing the force of acceleration, Priss had felt violently ill as gravity left her. She brought the tube of the vac bag to her mouth and started throwing up.

The large mouth of the tube was an easy target and the low power suction ensured that the vomit did not end up floating around the capsule.

When she finally was finished Priss put the tube back into the bracket on he back of the seat in front of her. She let her arms drop, or more the point, she relaxed the muscles in her arms and they floated.

She put her arms down then leaned back in the chair, breathing deeply. She still felt nauseous. One of the stewardesses came by and offered Priss damp a towel. Priss took it gratefully and used it to wipe her mouth.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

Priss was about to tell her no when the thought of trying to swallow anything made her stomach flop. She grabbed the tube and began throwing up again.

The stewardess patted her gently on the back and made comforting sounds.

Sick as she was Priss was still able to feel embarrassed. If anyone ever found out about this she would never live it down.

* * *

Sylia took a sip of water from the tube then let go of the water bottle, which remained floating in the air beside her.

She was sitting up, floating a meter off the deck, her computer resting on her knees.

The markets were active and interests rates were high. If Genom were not financing the creation of her company things might get very expensive. Still, it was a good time to bring a new company into the world.

The work kept her mind occupied. Sylia was a little uncomfortable in the zero-G environment but was not really bothered by it as long as she kept busy.

She had been in space a few times before, trips made out of curiosity for the most part. She really did not like it, though she was not frightened. It was just that she felt a little uncomfortable. She was too much a groundsider.

After stretching she pushed the computer gently from her lap, leaving in to hang in the air then reached over and grabbed one of the many handholds. Turning around she put her feet against the wall and pushed off. She sailed across the compartment, carefully gauging the distance as she went. She was weightless but she still had mass so hitting the far wall would hurt.

She stopped herself by grabbing another handhold. Once she had come to a halt she released the handhold and gently pushed away from the surface. She floated down until she was in front of one of the control terminals.

The engineering software was all very user-friendly and Sylia did not have too much trouble maintaining the facade that she was who she was supposed to be. Once she was sure everything looked fine she crossed the room again and went back to her work.

* * *

Friends had told Linna about trips into space. While they did say it could be unpleasant, they had not made it sound that bad. Obviously none of them had ridden up to space in a Vawk.

While civilian transport traced out a fairly oblique flight plan, accelerating over time, a Vawk was basically stood on its tail and the engines brought up to full.

As Sakon had told her, it was quite a ride.

Even once they had reached low orbit Linna still felt uncomfortable. It was partly due to micro gravity sicknessthere was no such thing as Zero-G Sakon had explainedthough she had taken various medications that helped a lot. It was more due to nervousness of being in a Vawk in space.

Civilian transports came with all kind of safety features and redundancies. A Vawk, and all similar craft, were made as light as possible to minimise the fuel needed to boost them into orbit. It ensured they had the fuel to manoeuvre once they were in space, and could land under power.

Knowing that if something were to go wrong they were basically doomed was not a good feeling.

"How are you feeling," Sakon asked.

"Just a little queasy," she told him.

"You should be all right now. Just relax and enjoy the flight. We'll be passing over China soon. If the cloud cover is light we might see something interesting."

* * *

Nene had waited patiently until one of the stewards came by then made her request politely. The dangers inherent in space travel gave the cabin crew a lot of extra authority and they could use any force they deemed necessary to deal with problem passengers.

Once he had asked her how she was feeling and a few other questions and she had assured him she was fine he gave his okay, telling her to be very careful.

Nene released her Seat belt and pushed gently from her seat, floating into he air. She had read the pamphlet on zero-G manoeuvring and was very careful to keep all her movements controlled.

Turning, she leaned over Miku and looked out the window, at the Earth far below her.

"Aiko-chan," Miku looked at Nene, a little jealous that the girl was not suffering at all from being weightless.

"Hai," Nene said, distracted, amazed at how her planet looked.

"Is zero-G and a skirt such a good combination?"

Nene looked down at Miku, and her cheeks began to colour slightly, then she laughed. "I don't care," Nene said. "This is too much fun. I'm going up top." That said Nene skilfully turned herself around, pushed off and shot down the aisle at head height, heading towards a set of stairs.

Miku watched her go, impressed at how well she moved. She was a natural if it was true that it was her first time in space. She also noticed that Aiko -Nene - kept her ankles crossed, not that it made too much of a difference.

* * *

Priss had not enjoyed the trip through the transfer station, floating in Zero-G was the last thing she had wanted to do. It was only that there had been nothing left in her stomach that kept her from being sick again.

The ship that was to take her to the colony was an odd one. It looked like a pie plate.

She soon realised the value of the design. The seats were aligned perpendicular to the thrusters.

It moved off from the station, accelerating at 2Gs for almost two minutes then slowed to only a tenth of a Gravity. Still, it meant that there was gravity, simulated, and Priss felt much better.

One of the cabin crew gave them a safety lecture and explained at the halfway point the ship would flip around and decelerate to target. During the time between the engines firing they would be at Zero-G again.

Priss listened to everything they had to say then went to sleep. She was not looking forward to the halfway point.

* * *

Sylia headed out into Genaros with the rest of the tech crew. When she got to the hostel where crew stayed she went to her room, changed her clothes and her hair once again, then sneaked out through an emergency exit.

Several minutes later she was seated in the first class section of the shuttle that would take her to another station. From there she would transfer to a shuttle that would take her to the colony.

When the ship stopped accelerating she pulled out her computer, letting it float in front of her and went to work. She had to figure out how to write-off all of the initial start-up costs if she hopped to make the profit she wanted.

* * *

The Pacific Rim Alliance station was kept in low orbit, almost directly above Vancouver, Canada. The Vawk moved slowly towards a docking clamp that extended some distance from the station. Linna had not known she was going to have to go EVA in order to get to the station where she would transfer to a shuttle.

A shudder ran through the ship as the docking clamp locked on it. Sakon fired off his thrusters, bringing the Vawk to a full stop, relative to the station. "We're here," he said cheerfully."

"Right," Linna said, wondering what she was going to do.

"When you get out of the plane hook up to the line on the docking clamp and just pull yourself along. See the clamp that passes over this one, the one that the Arrow is docked to?"

"The Arrow?"

"The one with the Maple Leaf on it."

"Oh, yes," Linna said, seeing which plane he meant.

"Use your second lifeline to clip onto the line on that one, then release from this one. You can follow it right to the airlock. There will be someone there to help you in."

"Right," Linna said, beginning to release her safety harnesses. "Thank you Rika-taii."

"No problem. Take care." He released the locks on Linna's canopy so she could open it. "And don't look down Koda." He laughed

Great, Linna thought, Another thing I have to worry about.

* * *

Nene looked at her watch. They were about twenty minutes from the docking with 'Merdian' station where the rest of the students would be spending several days. Nene covered the action by offering Miku some Poki. Miku refused, still a little green.

She smiled, unable to help herself, then ate a few of the sweets, at the same time taking the pill that Genom had given her.

A minute later her vision went blurry and she felt hot.

"Aiko-chan," Miku looked over at her. "Aiko!"

"What?" Nene looked over at her. Aiko saw that Nene's eyes were glittering.

"Are you all right?"

"Hai," Nene lied, managing to smile. Her head hurt a little and there were chest pains.

Miku put a hand on her forehead then placed the other on Nene's forehead.

"You have a fever!" she said then looked around, trying to get some help.

When the steward arrived, Nene was sort of out of it and she was not even aware a doctor was soon at her side. She might have been pleased, in a way, with the attention she was getting.

Once the doctor had ruled out any sort of Zero-G sickness he had Nene moved up into one of the seats, close to the main hatch and made sure the pilot called so an ambulance would be waiting for them.

The pilot got them into dock seven minutes faster then projectedat the cost of the emergency reaction massand Nene was loaded into the ambulance right away.

In the back of the ambulance the female attendant pulled out a hypo-gun and gave Nene a shot.

A moment later Nene sat up.

"I feel great," Nene said.

"Considering how you were just feeling that is not a surprise," the woman told her as she put the hypo-gun away.

"I guess."

"There is a change of clothes in that bag, your ID, your ticket, everything you need."

"Thanks," Nene swung her legs down onto the floor of the ambulance and began loosening the buttons on her blouse. The woman turned away to give her some privacy.

A few minutes later Nene had changed her clothesa casual business lookand the colour of her eyes again.

The ambulance stopped and she got out, walking off, not looking back.

Later she boarded a shuttle that would take her to the colony.

* * *

**April 17th, Monday, 11:27pm, MegaTokyo**

Majima-hakase had done his work well. While they would never be completely certain how much they had recovered from Largo's non-volatile memory, Domino was fairly certain that they had close to all of it.

Now they just had to decipher that data and learn all they could of it.

Domino had put herself on the project, as well as Rei. They could work without rest and had an innate understanding of how the data was organised. They were not the only ones working on it of course. Quincy had assigned a large number of people to putting together reports on what they found. It was hoped that they would have a complete report by morning. It would represent thousand of man hours, all done in one night.

She did not look away from the screen at the knock on her door. A few keystrokes put a vid window on the screen, showing her who was outside her door. She was a little surprised to see Rebecca Lin standing there.

"Come in," Domino said as she unlocked her door.

Rebecca pushed the door open and looked in. "Can we talk Odotte-san?"

"I'm busy. Make it quick."

Rebecca walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She looked nervous, the effect amplified by her child's form. "I'm sorry," Rebecca said.

"Sorry for what?"

"For being such a problem. This body, it is as much a curse as it is a gift, it's given me the chance to find something I thought I had lost. I've realised that, and I should at least say thank you."

"You are welcome then."

"I want to work for you again."

"Why?" Domino turned her attention back to her work.

"Because I may look like a child, but I am not one, like you said. You are one of the few people who know who I am and ignore my form. Sayako is nice, but she sees me as a child. Only you and Akiko knew who I really was."

"So you want to be one of my agents again?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Domino looked up from the screen. "I have some data here that needs to be interpreted and collated. Think you are up to that?"

"Yes," Rebecca told her.

"Good," Domino said. It looked like she might be able to make use of Rebecca Lin after all.

* * *

_"Things That Have Lost Their Power A large boat which is high and dry in a creek at ebb-tide.  
A woman who has taking off her false locks to comb the short hair that remains.  
A large tree that has been blown down in a gale and lies on its side with its roots in the air.  
The retreating figure of a sumo wrestler who has been defeated in a match"  
_-**Sei Shonagon**


	41. No Armour Against Fate 8

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (8 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**April 17th, Monday, 9:21pm, GMT**

Nene had her face pressed up against one of the windows near the front of the craft. She watched as they closed on the colony. Soon Nene lost the feeling as if she was moving towards it. It was so huge that she felt it must be falling towards the shuttle. There was no way something that big could float.

She knew all the facts; a cylinder, twenty kilometres long, three kilometres in diameter, one of the largest structures ever built by man, and only a prototype for what was to come.

Boomers had been working on it for years, material from the Lagrange point and that which was launched by catapult from the moon, had been refined out there, made into the materials needed to build the huge structure.

Nene knew all the hard facts, but they had not, they could not have prepared her for the grandeur of the real thing, falling towards them.

As the got closer that illusion was dispelled, and once again she felt she was moving towards it.

An announcement came over the PA asking all passengers to return to their seats. Reluctantly she left the window and went back to her seat, strapping herself in.

She watched on a monitor as they approached the cylinder. The shuttle then turned, the thrusters coming online to slow their approach, a sense of gravity returning.

They skimmed the surface at a mere two kilometres up, then rounded the South end where the docking bay was.

The entire thing spun in order to maintain gravity on the inside. She could see the huge opening of the docking bay, a rectangle, five hundred meters wide and one thousand and five hundred long. The lighted entrance was what she watched, how she saw the spin.

As they got closer it seemed the cylinder's rotation slowed, then stopped, but that was yet another illusion. The truth was the shuttle had now matched the colony's spin.

She watched the opening get larger, and finally they were passing through.

Nene leaned back in her seat. Now that she was on board the colony the excitement she had been feeling waned. It was time for her to get back to work. The fun part was over.

* * *

**April 18th, Tuesday, 7:54am, MegaTokyo**

Leon pulled the keys from his pocket as he stood in front of the door to Priss' warehouse. He had basically stolen the keys from Yuuko the night before. Priss had, so Yuuko had told him, sent her the keys so she could watch the place while Priss was in Shikoku.

It was a believable story, until one considered the rumours of what had happened Sunday night. Leon had not seen anything, and he knew no one who had actually seen it, but supposedly the Knight Sabers had hit the Tower. Supposedly only one had come back.

He unlocked the panel that covered the security system controls and turned off the alarm on the door. Another key unlocked the door. He closed the panel and then opened the door, stepping into the warehouse.

An initial look around showed nothing that alarmed him. There was Priss' car, and her bike. Leon wondered how she had gone to Shikoku then noticed that the bike was not the new one she had been driving.

He crossed the floor and then climbed the steps to the living area. Again he had the keys to open the door and the knowledge to shut down the alarm; Priss had trusted Yuuko quite a bit in giving her all the information. And now Leon was abusing that trust. It did not make him feel good.

He found nothing that reassured him or alarmed him as he looked about. It was quite possible that Priss had gone to Shikoku, but she may not have. He did not know enough about her wardrobe to tell if clothing had been taken. He did not have the codes to check the messages on her answering service.

When he finally left the warehouse, locking the door and resetting the alarm, he was still no closer to knowing what might or might not have happened then he had been before.

The rumours were that the Knight Sabers might have been taken down by Genom. Leon knew Priss was a Knight Saber. He could not find Priss.

Was she in trouble? Was she even alive?

He had tried to get in touch with Nene, hoping she might be able to uncover some information for him, but she was off at some conference with one of her teachers and he had not been able to reach her. He doubted that she would be able to rush back and give him a hand anyway.

Leon walked back towards his bike. He would do all he could to discover what had happened but he had an uncomfortable feeling that he would have to wait.

* * *

**April 18th, Tuesday, 11:19am, GMT SDPC/Genom Experimental O-Neil Colony, Lagrange Point 4**

"I don't like this," Priss said from the couch she was sprawled upon.

"You've said that a few times," Linna told her as she wrapped a towel around her wet hairshe had just taken a shower.

The three of them were sharing a suite. It was the most convenient set up.

"It's such a long shot."

"Do we have any better plans?"

"No," Priss shook her head. "And I'm not happy with that."

"Sylia-san should be on the station by now," Nene said. "I wonder how soon things will happen."

"I wonder if Genom has any idea of what they are talking about?" Priss asked.

"Well, they seemed pretty certain that they would be here." Linna took a seat across from Priss.

"But how can they be sure that these people will stay here when Sylia shows up."

"I don't know. There are a lot of places they can run to. The moon is fairly close."

"I wonder if they really are trying to gain control of the catapults on the moon?" Nene asked.

"I don't see why not. They are the biggest guns ever made."

"Almost," Nene said. "But they were designed in a way that supposedly made it impossible for them to fire on Earth."

"Maybe they are interested in targets in space," Linna suggested.

"Well, whatever," Priss said.

"You know, they could be planning on using the colony," Nene said.

"What?" Linna asked.

"Use the station keeping rockets to send this thing flying at Earth. It could be quite the powerful weapon."

"I suppose it might be one of the reasons that they are here." Priss got to her feet and walked to the window of their suite. "Why the hell would anyone come here other than that?"

"Because it is a wonderful place," Nene said, walking over to stand by the window with Priss. "Look at it."

"Look at what?"

"Everything. They are going to eventually build one that will be one hundred and twenty kilometres long, thirty kilometres in diameter. It will be huge. You could fit MegaTokyo into it."

"Why bother, this one is hardly used. Two of the land strips haven't even been built on." Priss indicated the land strip they could see across from them. They were separated from it by one of the sun stripsclear sections that the sunlight was reflected through.

"They didn't plan on building on them. That one across from us is for agricultural research, the one above us, that one is supposed to become an old growth forest."

"It didn't look much like one."

"They are behind schedule," Nene admitted.

"Why do you know all this?"

"It's fascinating. We've actually built a sustainable environment in space, well, nearly sustainable."

"Yeah," Priss got to her feet. "I'm going to get something to eat, assuming that stench does not make me lose my appetite."

"They're working on that," Nene told her. "In a year they think they will have it taken care of."

"I won't be here in a year," Priss told her as she grabbed her jacket and walked towards the door. "Want to come with me?"

"Sure," Nene said. "Linna-san?"

Linna shook her head. "Go one without me. "I'm going to get some rest. It's getting a little late back home."

"It's just a little after eight in the evening," Priss told her.

"Well, I didn't get much sleep."

"Wimp," Priss said as she pulled open the door.

* * *

Alice Myers walked along the main street, looking around, not really seeing much. The main street was an eight-lane road stretching the entire length of the urban strip. The first two kilometres of it from the South end were lined with small cafes, shops and office buildings. After that it gave way to residences that got smaller and smaller until after six kilometres there was almost nothing.

Land on the colony was incredibly cheap, as were building materialsthanks to the SDPC and Genom who would operate the colony at a huge lossbut few people wanted to take advantage of that. It was one of the reasons she and the others had come there, it was the last place anyone would look and the population was so small they would spot a Genom hit team right away. There were only about twelve thousand people in the colony, a fraction of the number it was hoped to eventually house.

Running would also be easy. A small ship could easily disappear in open space, and there were a lot of potential places to go.

Their plans were nearing completion. In a few more days they could hopefully leave. She hoped. Marcelle and Rafael had taken to bickering over the littlest of things as well as the biggest. It was slowing things down.

Kirk had, as far as she was concerned, tossed away his sanity. His plan was simply horrible, and he did not seem to care that it was horrible.

Then again, who was she to accuse Kirk of being insane? Every day she found it harder and harder to find a reason to go on living. The freedom she had been promised seemed a far away thing. She was constantly wishing that Nancy were there with her. Nancy, who could make everything all right: If only for a little while.

She found herself feeling jealous of the others. Of wanting to take Zoe, Lily and Dawn away from them, so they could feel the same sort of pain and confusion she did. Thoughts like that were filling her head, adding to the confusion.

She stopped and looked around, surprised that she was almost at the South end of the cylinder, the huge wall of gleaming metal stretching up in front of her.

When the time came to leave she would be happy. As far as she was concerned the Cylinder was not a place for humans to live. Give it over to the boomers, she thought.

She turned around and saw her.

Sylia Stingray, walking towards her. Alice froze. What was she was doing there? Were the rumours true?

She could not move, not until the woman had walked by her, looking at her once, nodding politely, a greeting to a stranger.

Once she had passed Alice began to walk forward, her pace getting faster and faster until she was running. Maybe the rumours were true. If so then maybe she would come over to their side. That would be of great value to them. Alice told herself it was the only reason she was interested in Sylia Stingray. There were no others.

It was not that she hoped that Sylia Stingray could somehow fill the void in her, give her a reason to go on. No, that was not it at all, Alice told herself.

* * *

"What do you mean she's here?" Rafael asked Alice.

"Sylia Stingray."

"What?"

"I saw her down by the South end."

"Why is she here?"

"Sorry, I didn't think to ask her."

Rafael sat back in his chair. Sylia Stingray. She was part of memories that were not his, a part that he did not understand. He was fascinated by her, sure she had a part in what had happened, but not knowing what it was. And she was here. Close enough to ask.

"It seems the rumours are true. She is on the run," Alice said.

"Yes. But can we be sure?"

"Marcelle said that everything is clear."

"Marcelle could be wrong," he snapped.

"Marcelle has made his living in this sort of thing. If he says that everything is clear I am inclined to believe him."

Rafael nodded after a moment. "That is true. You want to bring her in?"

"She can be of use to us, and we both know there are personal reasons."

"It's a big chance."

She laughed. "We've been taking a large number of big chances. What is one more?"

"It could get us killed, if we are wrong."

"You don't think we are wrong."

"No, I don't. How do you want to do this."

"The easier the better. I'll go."

"All right, but first we get Marcelle in on this and let Kirk know what is up."

"Fine."

"Do you think that she will be able to supply us with some important answers?"

"I can only hope," Alice said.

* * *

Sylia looked out the window of the small hotel room. She had checked into one of the many business hotels. There were many transient quarters in the O-Neil Colony as there was a steady flow of people in and out. That would have made it a poor place for her quarry to hide, except for the fact that the entry points were few and well monitored.

The low population no doubt helped as well.

She knew as much about the colony as Nene did, but unlike Nene she was not enchanted with it. She knew that space would see in an increase in habitation as time went on. Orbital colonies would offer a place for a growing population to move to. Space would supply the resources they needed.

It would all be made possible by the boomer.

She thought that perhaps it should have given her a stronger connection to space, but it did not. Sylia was happy to stay on Earth.

As she watched shadows began to lengthen and the light to fade. The colony was entering its night-time phase.

When she heard the knocking at her door Sylia closed the blinds over the window and then pressed a small button hidden on the windowsill. She turned and picked up a taser from off her bed. Slug throwers were not appreciated within a space construct. Hiding the weapon behind her body, she walked to the door, looking at the security screen.

It was Alice Myers.

Sylia pressed the intercom button. As she was supposed to be on the run, opening doors to strangers would be very foolish. "Yes," she said.

On the screen Sylia watched Alice look about before turning to the intercom. "Miss Stingray," she said, keeping her voice very low, "please, don't worry. My name is Alice Myers. I'm a friend."

"A friend?" Sylia asked, doing her best to make her tone wary, yet put a hint of relief in it.

"You are not the only one who has tried to stand against Genom."

"Who are you?" Sylia demanded.

"I'm part of a group that has worked against Genom. You've dealt with some of our associates in an opposing role, but we don't hold that against you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Miss Stingray, could we perhaps speak in a more private setting?"

Sylia waited, counting off the seconds in her head. She could not seem too eager. "How do I know you are not with them?"

"Miss Stingray, we both know that if they knew you where here, they would not try anything subtle."

Sylia waited a few more seconds, and then she slipped the security bar and unlocked the door. "Come in," she said, stepping back from the door.

Alice entered and then closed the door behind her. "Thank you Miss Stingray," she said. "Now, there is something that I have to check." She reached into her jacket.

Sylia moved forward at that moment, pressing the taser to Alice and triggering it. Alice's body jerked and then she fell to the floor.

Moving quickly Sylia reached into the woman's jacket and removed what she had been reaching for. It was a small scanner wand. More searching revealed a taser and a needler. That done Sylia hefted her onto the room's bed and then took a roll of tape from the bedside table. She taped Alice's hands behind her back then put a strip of tape across her mouth.

Satisfied she would not be going anywhere Sylia went back to the things she had taken from Alice. The sensor wand was fairly standardshe suspected that Alice had intended to scan her to make sure she was not a boomer. The taser was also nothing special. The needler, an air powered weapon, had its compression rate turned down. Just enough force to pierce the skin. She took the magazine out and looked at the needles in the magazine. The light blue markings suggested they contained a powerful tranquilliser.

She picked up the needler and walked back to the bed. She made sure that Alice was looking at her and then set the compression rate up to its maximum. The weapon could now project a needle at velocities that would allow it to punch through a body.

Reaching down Sylia grasped the tape across Alice's mouth and pulled it free. "No loud noises," Sylia said, keeping the needler pointed at her.

Alice nodded as best she was able to.

"Why are you here?" Sylia asked.

"I told you, I'm working against Genom, like you do. I want your help."

"What were you going to do with the sensor wand?"

"I needed to make sure you were not a boomer," Alice said, confirming what Sylia had suspected. "We're in a lot of danger right now, we can't take chances."

"Who is this we?"

"There are four of us. We have put together an organisation that opposes Genom, but Genom has almost destroyed us. We still have a chance to make your father's dream come true, but we need help."

"How do I know I can believe you?"

"You can't," Alice told her. "You have to trust me, like I trusted you in coming here."

Sylia counted off seconds again, making it seem like she was thinking about it. Finally she put the needler down and Alice relaxed. When Sylia picked up a lock blade and snapped the blade free Alice's eyes widened. After giving Alice a moment to panic Sylia used the knife to cut the tape around her wrists free.

Alice sat up slowly, the effect of the taser still slowing her. Sylia went and retrieved the sensor wand and handed it to Alice. "For your peace of mind." Sylia then pulled a chair close and took a seat by the bed.

"Thank you," Alice said, then waved the sensor wand about Sylia. After a moment a green light on it flashed.

"Did I pass?" Sylia asked.

"Yes," Alice told her.

"Good. Now tell me how I have dealt with your associates in the past."

Alice put the wand down beside her. She did not say anything for several seconds. "The events on the fifteenth of February."

"That involved a very deadly toxin."

"Rathen would not have used it. It was a threat, a diversion."

"To what reason?"

"We want to get our hands on the OMS system, and the boomer technology if possible."

"Why?"

"To free the boomers," Alice said. "To allow them to become what your father wanted."

"Why do you want to do that?"

"We all came to the realisation that it was the right thing to do," Alice lied. She did not think Sylia would trust her if she told her of Largo.

"You were involved in the attempt to liberate Andrews-hakase weren't you?"

"He was going to bring us what we needed. He also believed in your father's dream."

Sylia was careful not to let her emotions show. "And the recent events that involved the particle satellites?"

"That was ours as well."

"You seem to choose very destructive methods to get your way."

Alice shook her head. "We don't want to hurt anyone, but Genom only understands force. We have to make sure that they believe that we will use great force before they will cave into out demands. We won't actually do it."

Sylia could tell that Alice did not believe that. Oh, she might not hurt anyone, but obviously she could not be so certain of the rest of her group. "You want my help?"

"Yes."

"I will not be involved in any sort of mass destruction. Surgical strikes, only hurting the target, that is the only thing I will help with."

"I understand," Alice said, nodding.

"Then I think I better meet the rest of your group, if that is what you want."

"Yes," Alice said as she got shakily to her feet. "Yes, that is for the best. Thank you."

Sylia shook her head. "Don't thank me yet. I still have not decided if I want to work with you. You will have to convince me of that."

"Of course," Alice said, nodding happily. She had no idea how easily Sylia was playing her.

* * *

When Sylia had pressed the button in her room it had sent a signal to Nene. Of course that was not the only way Nene had to know what was going on. She had hacked her way into the station's computer systems. In doing so she had found the work of their quarry, their own taps into the computer.

It was not a problem for Nene; she was better and easily slipped her own taps into the system, and into the other taps.

She had a link to the door camera of Sylia's room, as well as the intercom. She had listened to Alice make her pitch and to Sylia eventually agreeing.

"They're on their way out," Nene said to Priss and Linna.

"All right, are the hardsuits and motoslaves ready to go?" Priss asked Nene.

"Everything is set up."

"And you can keep a watch on Sylia?"

"Yes."

"Good." Priss turned to Linna. "Ready?"

Linna nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

The small population of the colony made following someone difficult. Nene was doing most of the work, using the safety and security cameras in the colony to keep an eye on Sylia. There was still some need for on site confirmation, just to make sure that no tricks were played.

Linna skated along behind the electric car that Sylia and Alice rode it. She was dressed in the red and green body suit of the colony's only courier company, speeding along the road on a pair of in-line skates. At her side was a courier bag that rode low on her hip.

For the most part she was invisible, even though she stood out.

"Get ready to break off," Nene's voice came through the ear-piece that Linna wore.

Linna said nothing, just continued to skate along. Invisible or not, following the car too long would attract attention.

The car turned ahead of her. Linna continued straight for a few more blocks before making a very sharp turn, braking hard before she jumped onto the sidewalk. A few doors down she turned into a small alcove.

After looking about to make sure she had some privacy Linna began undressing. She had a change of clothes in the courier bag. "What's the story," she asked quietly, her voice transmitted through a com-dot on her throat.

"Two is following after them now. I think the target is taking a round about route."

"I'll get ready in case you need me."

"Understood," Nene said then cut the connection.

Linna finished pulling the body suit off and then reached into her bag for a blouse.

* * *

When the colony reached its estimated, maximum population it was expected to have a population density of six thousand people per square kilometre. When that day came, if it did, ground traffic would be restricted to pedestrians and a few slow moving cars.

Of course there would still be the need for high seed transports for emergency and security services. To that end a special vectored thrust aerodynesimilar in design to the Sky Carrierhad been developed for use in the colony. They were fairly small, necessarily so. A larger craft, moving at speed, might breach the exterior walls of the colony were it to crash.

The small aerodynes were somewhat ubiquitous, often flying overhead, all part of the testing that was currently going on in the colony. Since the craft was, to an extent, unnoticeable and since it performed in a similar way to the Sky Carrier, Priss had decided to steal one.

Nene had made such a theft easy, simply giving her clearance through the computers and hiding her presence from the station's air-controllers.

"They're going round and round," Priss said, climbing slightly. A powerful camera on the nose of the aerodyne gave her a close up of the car below her.

"You better move soon," Nene said.

"Is three in position yet?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll be near if you need me."

Priss reached forward and pulled the throttles back to slow the craft down, expecting it to begin to drop. When it did not Priss began to wonder if something was wrong. It took her a moment to realise that she was near the centre of the colony, and so in an area of very low gravity.

"Stupid thing," Priss said softly, increasing the power as she altered the angle of the blades.

* * *

"Why are we going in circles?" Sylia asked.

Alice looked a little embarrassed. "I just want to make sure that we are not being followed."

"Are you worried about me?"

"A little, but I've been doing this sort of thing for a while now. It is better to be safe."

"I can't argue with that," Sylia said, leaning back in her seat.

* * *

"Looks like they are finally stopping," Linna said. She was looking through a pair of binoculars, watching as the electric car came to a stop in front of a small office building in one of the less populated areas of the colony.

"Confirmed," she heard Nene say. "Can you move around to watch the exit at the back?"

"It will take a few minutes."

"It's all right."

"I'm moving then. Out," Linna said as she got to her feet and moved towards the stairs.

* * *

Alice led Sylia into a small, well-furnished room near the back of the office building. "Please, sit," Alice said.

Sylia nodded and took a seat. "Thank you."

Alice took a seat across from her. "The others will be here soon."

"What is it you are planning?" Sylia asked her.

"I should not say," Alice told her.

"You've asked me to trust you," Sylia pointed out.

"It is something big, something quite destructive. Genom will have no choice but to agree to our terms."

"And if they don't."

"They will!" she snapped.

Sylia decided she would push it. "But what if they don't?"

Alice looked very upset. "I don't know. Find a new plan of action I suppose," she said as if she did not really believe it.

"I see," Sylia said.

The door to the room opened. Marcelle Camberlain walked in. He stopped and stared at Sylia. Standing just behind him was a young, very beautiful woman. "Miss Stingray," he said. "I am very glad to meet you."

"You seem to have the advantage," Sylia said to him.

"Excuse me," he said, smiling. "I am Marcelle Camberlain, and this," he indicated the brunette with him, "is Zoe."

Sylia nodded to them both. "I suppose I should say that I am pleased to meet you."

Marcelle smiled. "You don't trust us do you?"

"No," Sylia shook her head.

"I understand." He walked into the room, grabbing Zoe and pulling her roughly after him. He pushed the unresisting 33-S into a chair then walked to stand over Sylia. "Let's consider things though. You are in trouble and on the run. You need help and we can give it to you. The simple fact is that you have no choice but to trust us, at least enough to work with us."

"Marcelle!" Alice said, a little surprised at his actions.

"I am simply telling the truth," he told her. "Isn't that right Miss Stingray?"

Sylia nodded. "Yes, you are. You might want to think of being more polite about it, however."

He laughed at that. "My apologies Miss Stingray, my manners have suffered some over the last year. I do hope you can forgive me," he said sarcastically as he took a seat beside Alice.

Sylia let some of her anger showit was in character. "You were the ones who brought me here. Maybe I need you, as you say, but you obviously need me. Stop playing games with me Mr. Camberlain."

"I am sorry Miss Stingray," Alice said. "Ignore Marcelle. He is an idiot."

Marcelle laughed at that. He laughed too long and an edge of hysteria entered the sound. "Yes," he finally said when his laughter trailed off. "I am an idiot. We all are idiots."

"Speak for yourself Marcelle," Rafael Browning said as he entered the room. On his arm was a woman almost as tall as he, though she was very slim. "Miss Stingray, I am Rafael Browning and this is Lily. We are both pleased to meet you."

Sylia nodded in the way of greeting.

"Since we are all here, I think it is time to begin," Rafael said, gently directing Lily to a settee then taking a seat beside her. "Miss-Stingray, we will probably need your help. When Genom gives us the information we need we will need your expertise in order to put it to use. Your presence here is quite fortunate."

"You really think that Genom will give you the OMS?"

"Yes!" Marcelle said, slamming his fist into his open palm. "They will have no choice."

"And what do you plan to do with the system when you get it."

There was silence for several seconds. "That is what we were hoping you might be able to help us with."

Sylia said nothing as she looked at the people in the room with her. Kirk Richards was not there. That worried her. The entire point of the mission was to take all four of them at once. "You can do a lot of things with such a system, but it would depend on what you wanted. You can't simply take control of boomers through it."

"We don't want to do that," Rafael said. "We have no wish to enslave the boomers to different masters, but to instead free them."

Sylia wondered if he really believed that. "That might be possible, but the results from such an attempt could be more damaging than you could imagine. Two conflicting OMS signals might be enough to drive large number of boomers into unthinking rages."

"Then Genom will have to shut down their system won't they!" Marcelle crowed.

Sylia stared at the man across from her. She wondered if he had always been like that. He had been an assassin after all. "And if they don't?"

"They will!"

"Marcelle is a little overzealous," Rafael said as way of an apology.

"Do you know how to free the boomers from Genom's control?"

"It might be possible to partially sever the connection. You would have to keep the OMS system transmitting in order to keep the boomers from suffering a drop in performance, but you could keep Genom from tracking the boomers or communicating with them."

"And you could do that?"

"I don't know, but I'd like to know why you are so sure that Genom will give you what you want."

"One of our companions is putting together a weapon system that will surely force Genom to give in," Alice explained. "Not that we will use it."

"We might," Marcelle said. "We might strike them down from the heavens." He laughed his almost hysterical laugh again.

"Be quiet!" Rafael snapped, finally a crack appearing in his composure.

"What does he mean?" Sylia asked.

"It does not concern you," Rafael said, regaining his calm. "How we will do it does not matter, what matters is that it will be done."

Sylia considered what she had learned. Kirk Richards was not there, but the remark about striking them down from heaven suggested that he was still in space. It was time to move the mission along. "I suppose you are right. It will be difficult however; you do know that?"

"We understand," Alice said.

Sylia nodded. "Can I get something to drink?"

"Of course," Alice said, getting up and moving to a small table in the room. She opened the top and removed a glass. "Water, coffee, a soft drink, alcohol?"

"Water would be fine," Sylia said.

Alice nodded and removed a bottle of water.

"So you think we can do this?" Lily asked.

"I think so," Sylia told the 33-S. She wondered what she thought about what was happening. Was she still loyal to Largo, or was she just being pushed along by inertia?

Marcelle laughed again. "What about you Zoe? Feel like asking a question of the only begotten daughter of your creator?"

Zoe said nothing. She had the bearing of a dog that had been kicked too many times.

"It takes a great deal of strength of character to mock such a hurt person doesn't it?" she asked Marcelle.

Marcelle looked at Sylia, then got to his feet, walked over, grabbed Zoe and yanked her to her feet. "You care about this doll?" he asked. "You can have her." He propelled the scared 33-S towards Sylia. Zoe tripped and fell to the floor just in front of her.

"Marcelle, you can be so cruel!" Alice snapped.

"If Nancy was still here you'd hardly be treating her any better!"

Sylia got up from her chair and knelt down beside Zoe. "Are you all right?" she asked, reaching towards her.

Zoe cringed back slightly, as if she was afraid she might be hit. Sylia sighed as she used Zoe's body to cover her as she reached for the ring she wore. She had been planning on using the water glass to press in on the ring, but as long as the movement went unnoticed it did not matter how she performed the action.

Alice and Marcelle continued to argue and Rafael was quickly caught up in it. Sylia ignored it and smiled down at the poor boomer on the floor. She reached forward and gently brushed the hair from her eyes.

* * *

"Two, are you ready to go?" Nene sent to Priss.

"The signal come through?"

"Just a few seconds ago."

"Okay. I'm giving you control of the craft, make sure it does not crash into anyone." Priss put the aerodyne on computer control then moved the rear of the craft. Her hardsuit was waiting for her.

It only took a few seconds for her suit up. "This is two, three, are you ready?"

"The delivery man is on his way."

"Four, your status?"

"Ready to move."

"I'm moving out now. Will commence final leg in one minute." She walked forward and opened the rear hatch of the aerodyne. "See you at the finish line." With that she leapt from the aerodyne. She was close enough to the centre of the colony that she did not fall very fast at first, but as she got closer to the surface her velocity began to pick up.

Priss had her arms and legs spread out to slow the fall a little. She did not plan to fire her thrusters to brake until she was closer to the ground.

* * *

The argument between Alice, Rafael and Marcelle began to slow down. Sylia had remained on the floor, trying to assure Zoe it was all right. She did not seem to be having much luck, but Sylia did not expect a few minutes to undo what was probably months of abuse.

"Enough," Rafael said. "We can't fight amongst ourselves." He looked at Sylia. "I apologise Miss Stingray. You are not seeing us at our best."

"I understand."

"Now, we were talking..." he was interrupted by the sound of a nearby crash and then a series of sharp cracks.

"What is that?" Alice asked.

"High velocity rounds of some sort," Marcelle said. "We must be under attack!" He reached into his jacket and produced a large revolver. "We have to get out of here! Zoe, come here!"

Zoe remained where she was. She reached out and grasped Sylia's jacket.

"You stupid bitch!" Marcelle yelled as he swung the revolver to point at Zoe's back. "Come here."

"Shit Marcelle," Rafael snapped as he pulled forth his own pistol. "This is not the time for this."

"What is happening!" Alice almost screamed as she looked around, her needler in her hands.

That's when something came crashing through the wall. Marcelle swung his revolver away from Zoe, brining it about to fire twice on the moving object.

The object hit the far wall, cracking it, before it came to a stop. It turned out to be one of their boomers.

"What the hell," Marcelle said.

There was bang as the door was ripped off of its hinges. A figure in a blue hardsuit stepped through.

"Fuck, she set us up," Marcelle screamed as it all become clear to him. He swung his revolver back towards Sylia. Priss moved faster, putting herself between the weapon and Sylia. Marcelle fired. The heavy rounds bounced off the armour as Priss moved forward. She slapped the pistol from his hands and then hit him. While she tried to be gentle she sent him stumbling back.

Alice and Rafael both ran towards the second door in the room, hoping to get free. That was when Linna and the Tornado crashed through the wall.

Rafael turned and ran to the other way as the Tornado reached out and grabbed hold of Alice.

Priss moved to intercept him but then Lily leapt forward, ready to defend Rafael. Priss, feeling a little bad about it, slammed her use hand into Lily's abdomen, folding her up. At the same time she lashed out with her leg, clipping Rafael hard across his thighs, sending him flying back the way he had come.

"We got three," Priss said. "Where is the other one?"

"Not here," Linna said.

"Well where the hell is he?"

"I'm sure that our guests will tell us," Sylia said, turning to look at the three they had captured.

Marcelle had no intention of getting captured. He had hit the wall pretty hard and he fully expected that the Knight Sabers would expect him to be out of it. He might have been had he not been wearing body armour.

When he made his move he did it quick. He launched a flashpack into the air as he rolled to his feet and sprinted to the hole in the wall. The flashpack went off in a blinding burst of light. While both Priss and Linna had flare compensation built into their suits, they were still taken by surprise.

"Damn," Priss snapped. "Three, hold down the fort, I'm going after him." Priss said as she went after him.

Linna let the Tornado keep its hold on Alice as she exited the motoslave.

"Where's my suit," Sylia asked, trying to blink the flashing lights from her eyes.

"It will be here soon," Linna said as she grabbed Rafael from the floor and pushed him towards the Tornado. She saw Lily staring daggers at her but the sexaroid did not look like she would be getting to her feet soon.

In the distance Sylia could hear the roar of engines. The Hurricane II with her hardsuit she guessed. "Call four, tell her to support two," Sylia told Linna as she began to remove her clothing.

* * *

Ahead of her Marcelle slammed a door closed, putting an obstacle in Priss path. Priss' first inclination was to simply crash though it, but she stopped herself. If that was one of the groups' bolt holes they would have likely made sure it was not easy to follow.

"Two, this is four," Nene's voice came over the comlink. "Need help?"

"That bastard Camberlain is running. He's just gone into the basement and I figure that the door might be wired."

"Just a minute," Nene said. "He's entered the maintenance tunnels. Sending location to you now."

"Thanks," Priss said as information began to scroll up her visor.

"The Typhoon II is on its way, in case you need it."

"Again, thanks," Priss said as she ran from the building. There was another entrance to the maintenance tunnels not too far away.

A moment later the Typhoon II put down near her. Priss did not give her motoslave any attention until she reached the heavy door that lead down into the tunnels.

"Open that," she ordered.

The Typhoon II stepped forward, grabbed the door and ripped it free.

"Good job," Priss said, starting down the stairs. Fortunately the passageway was large enough for the motoslave to follow, though its shoulders scraped the walls.

They moved through the underground passages, tracking Marcelle by the information Nene was sending. They were heading North, away from the sun side of the colony. Why was he heading North Priss wondered as she moved along?

"He's going to want to get out. What's up this way?" Priss asked Nene.

"Not much," Nene told her. "There are simple escape pods located throughout the entire colony, but they are just that, simple. Automatic distress beacons, not much speed and little manoeuvrability."

"Not much of an escape vehicle then."

"No."

"Any other craft he can use for escape?"

"No. He'd have to head South to find any useful spacecraft," Nene told her.

"He's probably just waiting for a chance to double back."

"Makes sense," Nene said.

"Keep me informed of where he is."

"I'll do my best.

Priss began to pick up her speed when the Typhoon II suddenly grabbed her, putting her on the floor as it moved to cover her. Priss was about to demand what it was up to when an explosion washed over them.

"What the hell?"

"Explosive set in the ceiling."

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," it said.

"Great. Now get off me and let's go."

They moved off quickly but Marcelle managed to maintain his lead. Priss wondered how he was moving so fast. When she asked Nene she was informed that the man was riding an electric motorcycle.

Nene tagged Marcelle returning to the surface two kilometres from the North cap. Priss might have been able to catch up but she was slowed by several more explosives and three boomer attacks. Fortunately the Typhoon II made it easy to clear those obstacles.

"He's up top, and he's just boarded an aircraft," Nene told Priss.

"Up," Priss ordered the motoslave. She had hoped that it might just tear an exit but instead the Typhoon II continued to the next exit point. A moment later they both moved up onto the surface. The explosions had not gone unnoticed and a lot of alarms were going off. Well, it was probably a good drill for the people there.

"Got him?" Priss asked.

"There," the motoslave pointed at an aerodyne speeding away.

"Let's get the bastard."

The motoslave picked her up, the hover rotors powered up, and it took to the air.

"Can you catch it?"

"No."

"Great," she said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just be fast."

The Typhoon II did not respond but Priss thought they were moving faster.

The flight to the South end did not take much time. They found the aerodyne near the end plate on the forest strip.

"He's managed to deactivate most of the surveillance equipment in your section," Nene sent to Priss.

"Just bloody great. He's here isn't he?

"I'm pretty sure."

"Perfect," Priss said sarcastically. "Keep me informed."

She and the Typhoon II set off, passing through a hatch into the South plate. At first the corridor just went straight but about a hundred metres in they came to several branches. Priss paused. "Four, got anything?"

"Not yet, sorry."

"Down," Priss told the Typhoon II as she started towards the interior skin of the colony's surface.

She was getting close to the interior surface when Nene called her again. "One of the cargo bays was just sealed. A major lock down." She sent the information to Priss.

"What's in the cargo bay?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? There can't be nothing," Priss said as she ran towards the location Nene that had given her.

"There is nothing there. There is an airlock, so maybe he is trying to get out that way."

"It doesn't leave him anywhere to go."

"I'm checking," Nene said.

Priss shook her head and increased her speed. A minute later she spotted the heavy door that had sealed off the cargo bay. She came to a stop in front of it and reached out, putting her hand on it. How the hell was she supposed to open that?

"Two, this is four. I figured it out."

"What?" Priss asked as she rapped her powerarm against the metal. She wondered how she would get through it.

"There is a small courier ship moving towards the colony, towards that airlock in particular. It is not official."

"Okay, so we know why he is here. Do something about it."

"What?" Nene asked.

"Open up on it with station defence guns, launch fighters or something."

"This is not Babylon 5," Nene said.

"Explain to me what a Babylon 5 is later. Just do something. Two out."

Priss laid two of her S-mines on the door then moved back. A few seconds later they exploded, tearing rents into the metal. Small rents. She looked at them for a moment then turned to the Typhoon II. "Open that."

The Typhoon II looked at her for a moment then stepped forward, jammed its huge fingers into the rents and then began pitting its not inconsiderable strength against the door.

* * *

"Do something?" Nene said. "What am I supposed to do?"

Nene had changed into her hardsuit earlier, in case she was needed in combat. The Tempest knelt behind her, in case she needed it.

"Link up," she said to the Tempest. The motoslave connected to her suit by means of a laser link. "Full antenna suite, full power."

The Tempest did as she had said as Nene slid deeper into the colony's computer systems. She had everything ready. The new processor was in her suit, the programs ready to go. Now it was time to test it out.

The ship was out there, closing on the colony. It had already matched the colony's rotation. It was hard to get a solid lock on it, the Station's command staff were not even sure it was out there. That was going to make what would have normally been very difficult closer to impossible. Nene smiled. Okay, she would do the impossible.

She reached forward with her use hand and began entering commands into the computer. Time to go to work.

* * *

**April 19th, Wednesday, 5:03am, Hokkaido, Soya Ken USSD Wakkanai Tracking Station**

"Sir, we have a problem," one of the junior techs called out.

"Define problem," Major Takamori said.

"Satellite 5B has just fired its secondary thrust unit. It is changing its orientation."

"Are we doing it?"

"Not us. It is powering up, all safeties off."

"What about the station in Australia, the one that doesn't exist."

"No."

Takamori took a deep breath. What he was about to do would be costly and he would have a hard time explaining it, but past incidents left him with no choice.

He took a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them towards a woman at the back of the room. "Detonate it."

She pushed the key into the slot on her station, turned it, and pressed a slightly recessed button. "It's gone." She smiled. "Never destroyed anything worth so much."

"Still haven't," the tech said. "We were locked out completely ten seconds ago. We've lost all contact."

"Where was it last pointing?"

"Out into space."

"As long as it does not hit anything big we might be able to deny it. Get C&C on the line and someone get some coffee in here."

* * *

**April 18th, Tuesday, 8:05pm. GMT**

"I'm here," Nene said softly, "though as I am moving I have to take that into account, no problem though. I have more than enough computer power behind me. The satellite is there and the ship is there."

She had taken the codes from the Genom computer, but had never expected to use them. Well, the truth was that she hoped that the situation might arise. After all, having the biggest gun on the team would be a nice change.

Now she only had one question: was the beam satellite really as accurate as she had been told? If it wasn't, well, shooting so close to the colony might be a bad idea.

Nene closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and triggered the satellite.

The colony's sensors picked up the incoming beam a few seconds later. The incoming ship's crewshe had not though about the crewprobably picked it up as well, but Nene truly doubted that there would be time for any reaction.

The beam cut through the rear part of the craft, severing most of the engine section.

Nene waited to see if it would explode. After several seconds she realised that it would not, Of course the main hull was still approaching the colony. Nene considered her options and decided she was just going to have to hope the colony could take the collision. The ship had been moving very slowly.

"Two, this is four. Problem has been dealt with, but things could get a little messy soon."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Priss demanded.

"A ship is about to impact in the area you are in. There might be hull breaches."

"Oh great. Well, seal this area off if you can."

"I will. Good luck."

"With you on my side I need it. Two out."

Nene sighed. Well, at least the job was done.

* * *

Marcelle watched at the door to the cargo bay was forced back. What the hell kind of monster was he dealing with?

He checked his vacc-suit over, making sure it was on right. He would exit the cylinder and wait on the surface for the ship that was coming in-to hell with a safe docking. Satisfied he was ready to face vacuum, Marcelle picked up a heavy laser rifle and made sure it was ready to go.

He would go to rendezvous with Kirk and together they would see the plan out to its end.

As he walked towards the airlock the sound coming from the bay doors changed. He looked. Now instead of trying to force them apart the thing, whatever it was, was trying to batter its way through.

"Oh shit," he said as he watched the doors begin to buckle.

He started running when the Typhoon II tore through the doors, falling to the floor. Priss followed right behind, leaping over it into the room.

Marcelle swung his weapon up, trying to target the fast moving, armoured figure.

Priss twisted about, making herself a hard target to hit as she moved. She landed behind one of the packing crates in the bay then swung around to return fire.

Marcus dove for cover. He fired a few blasts wildly just to keep everyone honest, then reached into a belt pouch, bringing forth a smoke grenade. All he needed was a little cover.

When Priss saw the grenade come skittering across the floor her first guess was explosive and she moved for cover. She was a bit surprised when it began belching forth thick, grey smoke. She moved out of cover and switched her suit's visual sensors to IR. The smoke itself was hot, and she could see nothing but a red wall with the IR. Cursing she switched to ultrasound and spotted her target at the airlock hatch.

She lifted her powerarm, ready to fire, but remembered that he was both human and wanted alive. She began to adjust the power level but then was not certain how much protection the space suit he wore might offer.

Cursing again she began running towards the airlock.

Unfortunately she was not fast enough and Marcelle stepped into the lock, pulling the door closed behind him. He did not waste time to properly de-pressurise the lock; he just grabbed a hand hold and popped the outer door. There was a rush of air past him, threatening to yank him out into space, but it only lasted a moment.

He turned to see the blue armoured Knight Saber through the door. Feeling safe and a little perverse, he gave her the finger. For some reason she was moving back from the airlock. He did not know why and did not care to find out. Quickly Marcelle exited the lock, holding onto the handholds, and moved out onto the colony's skin.

He looked up and saw the ship that would take him to safety. He smiled for once again things had worked out for him. It took him a moment to realise that something was wrong. The ship was coming in too fast.

There was no time for him to do anything beyond pull himself back towards the opening of the airlock.

He did not make it.

The ship slammed into the colony. Marcelle never had a chance. He was crushed instantly.

* * *

As Nene had predicted the hull breached in the area where the ship had hit. Priss had been running away from the lock when the impact occurred. Immediately air began to rush past her and she might have been pulled out with it if not for the Typhoon II, which grabbed her with one of its hands. The other was wrapped tightly around a section of the wall, holding it in place.

It took almost thirty seconds for the air to stop venting out of the metre wide hole in the station's side. Priss had watched with some fascination as it occurred, at how the breach had been torn open wider as large, unsecured objects were pulled through it. It was not something she thought she would ever get the chance to see again.

When it was over the Typhoon II released her. She stood, there was still gravity even if there was no air, and activated her com system. "Four, this is two, tell me this was localised."

"It was localised. I don't think there were any casualties."

"There was one," Priss said. "I'm fairly certain that Camberlain is dead."

"I'll tell One."

"Four, can you tell me something?" Priss asked as she looked around the ruined bay.

"What?"

"How the hell do I get back into the main part of the colony?"

"I'll get back to you on that one," Nene told her.

* * *

_"A fights is something that goes to the finish. A man who forgets bushido and does not use his sword will be forsaken by the kami and Buddhas"  
_-**Takeda Shingen**


	42. No Armour Against Fate 9

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (9 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000;2005) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

Rafael was just able to put his feet flat on the floor with only a little discomfort to his shoulders. His hands were tied together over his head. A piece of cord running up to a hook in the ceiling kept them there.

"Where is Kirk Richards?" the man standing in front of him asked.

Rafael said nothing.

His questioner slammed a punch into his side causing breath to explode from Rafael's mouth. "Where is Richards?" he asked once more

"This is pointless," Sylia said from where she stood nearby, leaning against the wall. She was wearing a baseball cap, a half mask that covered her lower face and a pair of dark sunglasses.

"I'm sorry," the man said, turning to look at Sylia. "We did not think we would have to interrogate them right away."

"He's not going to talk, not in the time frame we have," she told him. A distortion device in the mask disguised her voice.

"Well you'll just have to excuse me while I try."

Sylia shook her head, turned, and walked from the room.

The Genom team had arrived several minutes after Marcelle's escape ship had crashed into the side of the colony. They had managed to calm things down a little, and were keeping the station authorities away from her and the other Knight Sabers.

She could not blame the authorities for being angry and wanting to know what had happened. Explosions within the colony, a satellite weapon had fired near the station and a ship had crashed into it.

The population was in a bit of a panic.

"So, what's the news?" Priss asked as Sylia came into the room.

"Nothing new. They won't say anything." Sylia removed the cap and the sunglasses then pulled the half mask down about her neck.

"He's not on the moon?" Linna asked.

Sylia shook her head. "An attempt was made to seize control of one of the catapult sites but they never had a chance. It was likely a diversionary action."

"What about the particle beam satellites? That's what they tried last time, and it makes sense."

"Genom is watching them. They will 'remove' that threat if it becomes necessary."

"Maybe they will try to drop some other orbital construct," Linna suggested.

"I've been assured that they will be watched."

Priss shook her head. "I though for sure that the bastard would go for the moon catapults. They are the biggest guns around."

"Perhaps not so surprising. It would not be too difficult to stop any rocks launched from the moon, or at least break them up so the fragments would burn up on re-entry," Sylia told her.

"I guess."

Nene was working at her computer. They had found a number of disks and personal computers amongst Alice's and the others' possessions. She was looking through the files hoping to find something of use. She was only half-listening to the conversation between the others. "What did you say?" Nene looked over at Priss.

Priss was a little confused by the question. "About what?"

"The catapult sites."

"They are the biggest guns around?"

"Yes." Nene nodded. "They're not."

"What?" Priss asked.

Nene looked over to Sylia. "Genom's launch platform."

Sylia nodded. "Yes."

"Launch platform?" Linna asked.

"It is an orbital facility that Genom launches all their missions from. It is, basically, the largest weapon ever constructed."

"I've heard about it," Priss said. "Don't they take it apart after every use and put it back together just in time for the launch?"

Nene nodded. "They do that to keep anyone from getting nervous about it being misused."

"Yes, but there was a launch recently, Genom's second Jupiter mission. The Venus mission is being launched in three days," Sylia said.

"So this could be the thing that Richards is working on?" Linna asked.

"It is very possible." Sylia thought for a moment. "Get the equipment packed up and ready to move. I'm going to talk to the Genom commander." Sylia pulled the half-mask back up and reached for the sunglasses.

* * *

Thomas Tran had a lot of work to do in China. The Middle Kingdom had caused him no small amount of trouble, but he was close to getting everything wrapped up. It annoyed him to be called away from his work. It annoyed him even more that it had happened twice and it involved the same problem.

He had his duties though, and if Genom wanted him to put his operations in China on hold so he could take over a mission in space, he did so.

"Colonel Tran," Sylia said as she came into the room.

"What is it Miss X?" He did not turn to face her.

"The launch platform."

He turned and looked at her. "Yes. That would make sense, given what we know." He turned towards one of his sub-commanders. "Tengu, get me a picture of the platform and try to raise them. Don't do anything to alarm anyone who might get alarmed. November." He shifted his attention to a young woman close by. "How fast can we get there?"

"Let's see." She flipped open her NAVI. "We're sitting happily in Lagrange point 4, the platform is riding on the outside of point 1 at this time. Right now that is two hundred and fifty six thousand, nine hundred and sixty kilometres away." She entered the data into her NAVI as she spoke. "We burn reaction mass at an obscene rate, pull some massive Gs when we start," she said as she continued to enter the data. "I can get you there in seven hours, twenty three minutes and thirty five seconds, plus or minus forty seconds, after we leave here. Of course when we reach the platform the ship will be out of fuel and we won't be able to stop."

"Use the last fuel to divert the ship so its does not hit anything of importance. We'll ditch the ship on the way in."

"Yes sir. I'll get right on it." Saede November said as she turned and headed out of the command centre.

"Miss-X, I would like to request your help in this."

"You'll have it," Sylia told him.

"Get your team ready. We leave in thirty minutes."

Sylia nodded, then turned and left. She had work to do.

* * *

**April 19th, Wednesday, 3:05am, GMT**

The 'Merry Widow' was 'officially' a commercial freighter that carried cargo between the orbital platforms and the moon. In fact it was a Genom special operations base. While it had the lines of a 'Lucas' class freighter, it had little in common with its civilian counterpart. Armour and hidden weapons were coupled with a thrust to weight ratio that would better suit a fighter. It was quite the ship.

Within the ship, standing on a deck that was perpendicular to the thrust, Thomas Tran was briefing the assault team.

"The launcher is basically a rail cannon, thirty five kilometres long, with a barrel diameter of one hundred and twenty metres. The delivery vehicle being used this time is seven hundred and thirty meters long with diameter of eighty metres.

"As the launcher is designed to accelerate the vehicle to speeds that ensure that it will arrive in as short a time as possible, I'm sure you can appreciate how fast the vehicle will be travelling as it leaves the launcher. To put it simply, this thing should not be allowed to hit Earth. That is what we will stop," Thomas said, looking at the people around him.

"As far as telemetry from the launcher is concerned everything is fine. We've spoken to the launcher's crew and they tell us everything is fine. Direct visual feeds from several observation posts tell a different story. The launcher has altered its orientation radically and is now pointed at the Earth. It also appears that the construction time has been pushed ahead.

"This has become a threat."

"So why not just shoot it down with the satellites or something?" Priss asked.

Thomas gave her a displeased look. He was not used to being interrupted in such a matter. Priss met his stare evenly. "We are working on that right now. The USSD is being convinced to do this as we speak."

"Why not just seize control of one and do it yourself?"

"Where possible we try not to step on the USSD's toes to much, and we don't like to remind them how out of control they actually are. They might do something unfortunate."

"Oh," Priss said.

"While the weapon systems are to be used, I am not sure that they will work. If Kirk Richards is as weapon savvy as we have been led to believe then I would expect him to have considered the possibility and planned for it.

"I strongly suspect that we are the last and best hope, as hard as that might be to accept," he looked over all the people around him.

"The security of the sight, ironically, has been recently updated, including a force of twelve Flecks, space superiority boomers. While I am aware that some of you have faced Flecks before, you must realise that those were pale copies of the originals. These ones will have suffered some loss in function due to the fact they have had their AI chips altered, but not that much. We have eight Flecks boomers in the hold of this ship that will be going with us. Let them directly engage the enemy units. Our job will be to disable the launcher."

He reached down and tapped a control on the holo-projector. The projection of the launcher faded to be replaced with an image of Kirk Richards. "This is our primary target. We are to capture him, alive if possible. Miss X, I think that you should handle that part of the operation."

Sylia nodded. She suspected that Thomas knew who she was, but he had never used her real name, even when no one else might hear it. She was certain no one else on the team knew the true identities of the Knight Sabers.

"I suspect that Richards will be found in the cargo ship that is currently moored to the launcher. It is possible that he will be in the platform's control centre, but I doubt it. I suspect that he wants to move as soon as he can once this is over. Being in the ship makes sense.

"Miss X, my people will do their best to open a path for you so you can board that ship. Once you are in I suspect that you will find nothing there that you cannot deal with."

"I understand," Sylia said.

"Good. Now let's get down to details."

Thomas spent the next hour explaining exactly how they were going to accomplish their job. Leaving the ship just before it altered its course. How his people would react once they arrived. He left the Knight Sabers actions to Sylia, simply pointing out what he would like to see done, if possible.

When he finally finished he opened the meeting up to questions. His people wanted more information on the timings and about the locations they were to hit. Nene wanted to know more about the computer system that controlled the platform and the one in the ship. Priss asked questions about the delivery vehicle and then asked for more information on it. Thomas directed her to the computer.

Sylia wanted to know about back up. Thomas told her that they could not expect any support for six hours, at least, after they arrived on site.

"Sir," Saede's voice came over the intercom, "the satellite is about to fire."

"Well, perhaps we won't be needed," he said, though he did not sound as if he believed it.

All of them waited, quietly counting off the seconds. Both Thomas and Sylia looked calm, as if they knew exactly what would happen.

"It did not work," Saede's voice came over the intercom once more. "The satellite exploded before it could fire."

"I suspect that he mined the satellites, hooked them up to the targeting system," Sylia said.

Thomas nodded. "It's what I would have tried to do, in his place. Well, it looks like we are not going to get to do this the easy way. We've got about three hours to prepare. Get to work."

Everyone got to their feet, having to work at it a little as the ship was accelerating at one and half Gs.

* * *

Sylia had allowed for the possibility that the motoslaves and hardsuits might be used in space, though she had never really thought she would ever have a chance to put her work to test. She had spent a few hours altering the thruster units of both the suits and the motoslaves, then installing the new software that was needed to control the modified thrusters.  
She looked over at Priss who was already cocooned in the Typhoon II. The motoslaves silhouette had been completely altered by an additional thruster unitfor braking purposes as they neared the platformextra reaction mass and air tanks. Most of it would be blown free of the motoslave before they entered combat.

She looked over at Thomas. He was climbing into his own powersuit. It looked similar to the suit that Mason had been wearing when she had last faced him. It, like the motoslaves, had a set of braking thrusters on it, as well as the reaction mass and air tanks.

The tanks made her wonder about what might happen if they were forced to destroy the launcher. She did not like the thought of being left out in space, waiting for the back up to show up. Six hours, at least. Would they be able to survive that long? Only if they could find some air tanks in the wreckage.

She shook her head as she pushed those thoughts away. No time to think about them now. There was nothing she could do about it. Reaching down, she picked up her helmet and put it on, making sure that it was on correctly, taking a little more time than usual. Once she had it on she over-pressurised her armour, just to make sure it was completely sealed.

Satisfied that the suit was as ready as it could be she walked to her Hurricane II and climbed into it. The motoslave closed around her, sealing her into itself. Information began to scroll across her inner visor, feed from the motoslave's computer. Everything was ready to go.

"Okay people, you know the drill," Thomas' voice came over the com system. "Don't screw up, this is the wrong place to do it. Prepare to de-pressurise the bay."

Several red lights began to flash, warning of the upcoming de-pressurisation. After several seconds the air began to be pumped out of the bay. It took two minutes for the bay to completely de-pressurise. There was some nervous chatter between the people in the bay. Mostly black humour about blown seals and messed up air mixes.

Thomas eventually told them to shut up, but whether because he did not want to hear it or he was giving the Knight Saberswho had never done such a thing beforea break, Sylia did not know.

When de-pressurisation was completed the cargo door slid open onto space. Thomas's people moved quickly, taking rods from the wall clamps, snapping them together, and feeding the long pole out the hatch. One end was bolted into a bracket on one of the bulkheads. Braces were put under it.

When finished, a pole one hundred meters in length stretched out into space.

"Out we go, by the numbers," Thomas said.

One of his people was the first to go out, grabbing the pole and, almost looking like he was climbing it, headed out into space. Two more powersuited, Genom special-op operatives went out next, then it was Priss' turn.

Sylia watched as Priss hesitated for a moment, then she went, the Typhoon II copying the actions of the powersuits.

It took a few minutes to get everyone out on the pole, but soon the entire group was out in space, clinging to the pole.

"Okay, cut loose, we're on our own."

Sylia knew what she was supposed to do. She just had to let go. It was difficult to do. She could not shake the feeling that she was hanging over an immense void and only the pole she was holding onto kept her from falling. After taking several deep breaths she had the Hurricane II release its grip.

She did not fall. In fact she felt like she had not released the pole for nothing changed. The ship was still beside them, as it had been before. Sylia, though she knew she was in space, could not help being affected by how things worked on Earth. She felt that once she released her hold the ship should have pulled ahead. It was going to take some time to get use to being is space.

"Ship's about to move away," Thomas said.

The ship suddenly began to move forward, giving Sylia the first sense of movement she had since she had climbed out on the pole. It began to alter its course, moving off, away from them, moving onto a course that would send it hurtling towards the Sun.

To their right were the Flecks boomers. They had exited the other side of the ship.

In a few minutes they were alone, hurtling through space towards the launch platform. They were going to be spending two hours in flight, as it were. Furthermore Thomas wanted radio silence. It was going to be a very lonely journey.

* * *

**April 19th, Wednesday, 5:19am, GMT, Genom Orbital Launch Platform**

When the sexaroid AE36A had been completed some of the techs had joked about her being one of the special 'P' models. She looked young, maybe in her mid teens, though perhaps on the small side. It was the closest Genom would ever approach to the darker sides of sexual desire.

She had long, black hair and deep brown eyes; her face was elfin. A beautiful, young woman.

She had been removed from stasis and had been given to a man named Kirk Richards. He had called her Dawn.

At first he had been uncomfortable about the young woman, treating her more like a daughter than a lover. That had changed as they had grown closer. In time, as he had slid deeper into a madness of his own, he had begun to find a greater attraction to her youthful appearance. He had done what he could to emphasise it.

He had her put her hair into pigtails; he made her wear juvenile clothing. She even carried a teddy bear with herthough inside of it was a 'plastic' handgun.

At first Dawn had enjoyed her life with Kirk, but as time went on she was becoming more and more worried about what Kirk might do. He kept coming up with plans of how to create, or use things all ready in existence as, weapons of great destruction.

As if their relationship had opened some door, Kirk had begun to be interested in actual children.

She no longer knew who Kirk Richards was, and yet she could not leave him.

It left her miserable. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling herself into a tight ball. She looked at the teddy bear that floated just in front of her. "What should I do Maku-kun?" she asked softly. The toy of course did not answer.

At the time she was wearing a dark grey ship suitit could also do duty as a short-term vacc-suit in an emergency. Her hair was gathered up at the back of her head in a bun in order to allow her to wear a helmet. It the most mature clothing she had worn in a few months.

What was she going to do about Kirk? What could she do about Kirk? She was certain she loved him.

Dawn's thoughts were broken by a beeping sound that came from the sensor station. She shifted about from where she was curled up in the corner of the bridge's ceilingin so much as there was a ceiling in Zero-Gand pushed herself gently towards the station, leaving the teddy bear behind.

When she got to the station she brought herself to a halt and looked down at the sensor readouts. She keyed her headset. "Kirk, that ship that was coming in just changed course."

"Has it?' Kirk responded. He was out on the launch platform, disabling some of the safety features. "Where is it going now?"

"In system."

"That's weird. Be a good girl and send a couple of more Dobermans out."

"Right," Dawn said, moving towards another of the ship's stations. They had wired everything into the ship's controls.

"I'll be in in about an hour. Let me know if anything else comes up." He cut the connection.

Dawn entered the commands that activated the boomers, and then put them on patrol.

* * *

Priss' biggest difficulty during the approach was keeping her urge to be sick under control. She did not care that they were floating in space, nor that they were going into battle in one of the most dangerous environments. What she did care about was not throwing up in her helmet. That would be messy.

She was also a little too warm. The modified innersuit she was wearing was keeping her temperature constant and within a comfort range. She did not know if it was too warm because that's just the way it was or if Sylia preferred the warmer temperature herself.

As annoying as both the nausea and the warmth were, at least she did not have to go to the bathroom.

Up ahead of her she could see the lights of the launch platform. According to her computer they were still over one hundred kilometres away. She felt she was much closer. She knewthanks to the briefing from Thomasthat the effect was caused by the lack of atmosphere. There was none of the atmospheric hazing that one used to judge distance on Earth.

All in all Priss was getting sick of space and all the different rules she had to remember. She would be happy to get back Earth where she just knew all the rules and did not have to think about them.

She watched the counters being projected on the faceplate of her helmet. The distance between her and the target was decreasing; the countdown time until they were to start braking was nearing zero.

Off to the side, below her, she saw a flash of light, then several more. The Flecks were braking. Priss watched as her own counter hit zero several seconds later. The braking thrusters fired and Priss felt the force of the rapid deceleration. They were about fifty kilometres away from the platform and travelling at almost six hundred metres a second. They would reach the platform in about two minutes.

The speed they were travelling at was incredible.

The platform grew in size ahead of them, Priss could make out details, see some of the boomers in the area and they were still ten kilometres away.

Then they were flying over the platform, or under it, Priss was not sure, moving at 90 metres per second. The boomers that were guarding the platform tried to move to intercept, but the incoming force was moving too fast.

The Flecks on their side came in behind the diversion force, slamming into the boomers that had set off to chase after Priss and the others.

At the time when the enemy Flecks were entering the fray Sylia gave the order to break away from the Genom forces. Priss took over from the computer and fired a long burst from the braking unit, eventually brining her suit to a complete stop. It was like slamming the brakes on in a car and being thrown against the restraint belts.

She cut the braking unit free; several now empty tanks were released at the same time. One of the effects was to free up the Typhoon II's arms which allowed it to pull the heavy laser cannons from where they had been stowed on its back.

Priss spun the motosalve about and opened fire on a rapidly approaching Doberman, tracking it as best as she could. As the same time she began dodging its incoming fire.

The effect was a little disorientating at first, but Priss forced her self to define up and down by her own orientation. It made the actions of the incoming Doberman look a little more confusing but helped Priss keep her head. She caught the Doberman in the chest with a sustained blast that cut right through it, destroying its main thruster array.

Crippled as it was, Priss had little trouble finishing it off. As she looked around for a new target she realised that she was still moving. She had forgotten the laws of space combat it seemed. She swung the motoslave around, found a new target, and rocketed off towards it.

* * *

Linna had read a number of papers and articles concerning manoeuvring in micro-gravity. It had always interested her as a martial artist. As she moved she considered inertia and how it would affect her, and the fact that every action had an equal, opposite reaction. When she reached out, with the Tornado's hand and grabbed a boomer, she knew how it would affect her, or at least she had a pretty good idea.

Using the boomer's energy to change her course brought her into a position where she could provide fire support for one the Flecks units that was on her side. She crushed the head of the boomeran armed, space construction modelthat had provided her with the course correction, and then opened up on the enemy Flecks with the Tornado's rocket pack.

That action sent the motoslave flying back, but Linna had expected that. She waited a few seconds then ejected the spent rocket pack, letting that force also alter her course.

If she had planned things right she would be in position to engage a Doberman.

As it was she ended up some distance off course, but was still able to fire on the Doberman, driving it away from Nene.

Linna looked around for Sylia, making sure that she was still clear. Priss was moving up to support Sylia so Linna stopped worrying about her.

"Ready to go?" she transmitted to Nene.

"Yes," Nene replied.

"Follow me then," Linna called as she burnt reaction mass and started rocketing towards the platform.

* * *

Sylia spun the Hurricane II about to avoid the fire of the Flecks unit that was coming at her. A blast of the thrusters sent her up, above it. She set the Hurricane II to spinning so its forward surface remained lined up on the Flecks. Throughout her suit the gravity emitters were charging. Just a few more seconds, she thought, judiciously using the thrusters to maintain her target lock.

A soft chime indicated her that she had full charge. She triggered the weapon system.

There were no tell-tale signs of the gravity wave, as there had been on earth. Maybe a very slight distortion in the light, but that was it. When it hit the Flecks it was made obvious, however. The huge boomer twisted about, one of the thruster units ripped from its lower body.

Unfortunately the unit was not destroyed, but then again it was no longer her concern. One of Thomas' operatives was engaging the unit.

Her continuing climb, relative to the platform, allowed her to see the cargo ship that had probably brought Kirk to the launch site. She was going to check out the ship while Nene would examine the platform's control centre.

"Watch your back," she heard Priss call out.

Sylia spun the motoslave about, bringing one of the Hurricane II's laser cannons to bear on an approaching Doberman. She and Priss caught the boomer in a crossfire of laser fire, quickly destroying it.

"Sorry I'm late," Priss transmitted.

"Not too late," Sylia said. "Ready?"

"We'll see," Priss said, taking to lead as she dove towards the ship.

* * *

Thomas was pleased with the initial attack. He had not lost any of his people, yet, nor had his Flecks taken any appreciable damage; the enemy had taken some loses as well. He had expected that in the initial attack. Things were going to get much harder.

"Red one and two, link up with Monster two and start your run on primary target. Red five and three, hold position. Monster six, break off that attack and start a running attack on target two." While his people and boomers were reporting that they understood he swung his armour's cannon about, brining it around to track an incoming boomer.

The weapon systems they used combined a large bore laser cannon with a 40mm gauss cannon underneath it. It was an effective space weapon, if used properly. A blast from the rail cannon sent him flying back, but he had wanted that. His armour spun about, bring him around to face another boomer that had over flown him earlier. A second blast that cancelled out the inertia of the first also ripped the boomer apart.

"Red four, move to my position. Monster four, move to soften up target three, we'll be with you soon."

He spun his suit so he was facing the launch platform again, almost five kilometres away. If Richards was as smart as he had been led to believe, then the fight was going to get much harder. Richards would have done his best to ensure that the vulnerable parts of the launcher system were well defended.

Yes, it was going to get harder.

* * *

Nene followed Linna into the command, control and habitation section of the platform. It was built in a gravity wheel that almost looked like one of the carriage wheels on a cannon. There were some boomers, mostly hastily armed space construction types, but between Nene's jamming and Linna's fire they were not much of a threat.

Nene matched the speed that the gravity wheel was spinning at and then latched onto it.

"Will you be all right on your own?" Linna asked from where she was floating, to Nene's perspective, near-by.

"Hai," Nene said as she began working towards one of the airlocks.

Linna remained where she had been for a moment. "Call me if you need me," she said, then moved off.

When Nene arrived at the airlock she found the outer door had been torn open, probably by an explosive. The inner door was also open. She did not want to enter the gravity wheel for fear of what she might find, but she steeled herself and moved through the airlock.

Once inside the chest hatch of the motoslave opened up and she stepped out onto the deck.

The lights were still on and there looked to be very little damage to the interior. "Wait here," she told the Tempest. "Monitor the situation and tell me if anything changes."

"Is that a wise course of action?" the motoslave asked.

"We'll see," Nene said, turning and walking down the hall. A short time late she found an entrance to one of the spokes. The control centre was in the main hub.

The hatch was locked. The fingers on Nene's powerarm folded back and the universal connector slid from the arm. Nene jacked it into the door controls and looked at what she had to deal with. It was an emergency airlock and someone had locked it down. Perhaps Richards had set up in the platform's control station after all.

It took her a few seconds to make the lock behave as she wanted. The lock de-pressurised and the door slid open above her. Nene reached up and pulled herself up, into the lock. The controls within the lock worked as normal. Nene sealed the hatch below her then re-pressurised the lock.

When the inner door opened a few seconds later she found herself looking down the barrel of a shotgun.

"That's not a boomer," someone said from behind the shotgun's owner.

"Well what is it?" the woman with the shotgun said.

"I'm a Knight Saber," Nene said, her helmet distorting her voice.

"A Knight Saber?" the woman with the shotgun said, sounding even more alarmed.

"I'm here to help!" Nene said, not really blaming the woman. In the past the Knight Sabers had been responsible for damaging a lot of Genom property.

"Why should I believe that?"

"I don't know," Nene admitted. "You don't have any choice when you get right down to it."

"Why do you think that?" the woman demanded, giving the weapon in her hands a jerk.

"Because if that weapon doesn't have the power to breech the walls of this place it is never going to get through my armour."

There was a deep laughter from above them; it rolled down the spoke like some palpable force and the woman with the shotgun seemed to relax slightly. "Let her up Jenny, I like this one."

The woman with the shotgun moved to the side. Nene looked up the spoke. There was one other woman and three more men clinging to the sides of the spoke. The one who had spoken was a large, middle aged man wearing a vacc-suit, though he had the helmet off. He was near the top of the spoke and was almost floating in the micro-gravity. "Come up here Knight Saber," he said. "My name is Ishmael. Let's talk."

Nene moved past the first woman, pulling herself up the spoke as she went. It got easier the higher she climbed. Soon she was even with Ishmael.

"You said you are here to help us?" he asked.

Nene nodded. "That and to stop the launcher from being used as a weapon. Can you tell me what happened?"

"It was the supply ship. After they dropped off their cargo we were told that there was a problem with the ship and they needed time to fix it. It was no big deal. It happens all the time. Then our security chief was killed in what looked like an accident. We didn't know there was a problem until the inner airlock doors all opened at the same time. Only a few of us managed to make it to the spokes before the outer doors were all breached. About the same time all of the security boomers and almost all of the construction boomers stopped responding to our commands."

"Do you still have control of the launcher?"

He shook his head. "The connections between our control system and the launcher systems were cut. We can't do anything."

"Can't you reconnect them?"

"Reconnect them?" one of the men below called. "We'd have to go out on the surface to do that. "We'd be killed by the god-dammed boomers if we did that. We aren't fucking stupid."

"That's enough Julius," Ishmael said. He looked back to Nene. "We can't do much, even if all of us were willing. It was the boomers that handled most of the EVA work. It would take us hours to find all the cuts and repair them. Do we have that much time?"

"I don't know," Nene said, though she doubted it.

"And it would be dangerous out there. I think either no one knows that we are in here or they just don't care because we are not a threat."

Nene nodded. "Okay."

"You said you were here to help us?"

"Yes. Do you think you'll be safe here?"

"We have a few hours before we start running into air problems. As long as the spoke is not breached we'll be all right."

"I'll let our side know to avoid it," Nene told him. "Once we have the area secured we can move you to someplace safer."

"Fair enough," Ishmael said, though he did not sound wholly convinced.

"Can I exit out of the control hub?"

He nodded. "There were airlocks there as well. They are all open.

"Thank you," Nene said as she began pulling herself up towards the upper lock. There were a few things she was going to have to check.

* * *

Priss stayed close by while Sylia overrode the locks on the ship's airlock. She kept scanning the area, looking for threats. There had been two C-class boomers in the area, but they had been quickly taken out. She had seen others but it did not look like those ones would be an immediate threat.

It took Sylia nearly a minute to override the lock controls. She and the Hurricane II moved into the lock and the outer door closed.

Priss waited a few more seconds then spun the Typhoon II about, brought it to a halt and then moved off at speed. There was a lot of fighting going on around the launcher, but Priss was in the clear. Thomas had most of his people trying to take out the primary systems of the launcher. The generators, and the capacitors for the most part. It was around those areas that most of the fighting was happening.

Priss had an easy run to the front of the launcher, ten kilometres up from where the ship had been docked. When she got there she spun about the forward end, punched her thrusters up, and flew directly into the barrel.

There were three boomers within the barrel, two C-class boomerssomehow affixed to the inner surface of the barreland a Doberman. They were stationed equally about the interior circumference of the barrel.

Priss put the Typhoon II into a roll and began to fire, strafing each of the boomers with a burst of laser fire. The two C-class did not have a chance, but the Doberman was able to evade most of the attack and come after her.

Priss intended to circle about and head back to engage the following boomer, but she was still thinking in terrestrial terms. The Typhoon II interpreted Priss' commands in a different way than Priss had intended. The Typhoon II spun about so it was facing the Doberman, but it continued moving in the same direction it had been.

While a little surprised by what had just happened, Priss did not let it slow her reaction time. She opened up on the Doberman, both of the laser cannons tracking the boomer. She cut its right leg off first, then took off its head. Finally both beams converged on the torso of the unit, finishing it off.

The explosion of the boomer, and some of Priss' fire, had damaged the interior of the launcher, but not greatly. The launcher system was very hardy and it would take more firepower than the Knight Sabers and Thomas' team commanded to harm the barrel itself.

Priss spun the Typhoon II about once more and continued down the launcher. There were more boomers on guard duty, but Priss had little problem dealing with them. She did use a lot of reaction mass doing so. She knew she could not stay in the fight for long if she kept wasting her fuel.

She finally arrived at her target. The huge form of the delivery vehicle filled the barrel. It was a large cylinder, built to make planet fall on Venus. Trying to destroy it would be more futile than trying to destroy the launcher.

When Priss had looked at the image of the vehicle during the briefing on the Merry Widow she had noted something odd. On the very front of the vehicle was what looked like an engine. It was an engine, as it turned out. The vehicle carried very little reaction mass. The little it carried was for the attitude thrusters and the large braking thruster on the front of the craft.

It had been Priss' idea to use the braking thruster to stop the vehicle, or at least slow it, if it was launched. Thomas has seen the value in the idea, but did not have the people to spare. That was how Priss ended up in charge of the mission.

The motoslave opened up its chest hatch and Priss moved free of the unit. "Watch my back," Priss ordered as she floated towards the braking thruster, carrying a small tool kit in her use hand.

* * *

"You better take a look at this Kirk," Dawn said.

"What?" he asked as he pushed himself towards the 33-S.

"Our attackers, the Knight Sabers are amongst them."

"That can't be," Kirk said. He moved to look over her shoulder. "Show me."

Dawn moved back through the records until she found the image of a blue and grey motoslave, the blue and red hardsuit of the operator just visible.

"How long till we are ready to go?" Kirk asked, his voice flat.

"The final connections should be ready in ten minutes. We can activate the launcher then."

"We fire then. We'll try to find some target of importance. Hopefully we can drop it on Japan."

"Don't we have to make our demands first?" Dawn asked.

Kirk smiled as he shook his head. "It is all over. The Knight Sabers weren't killed or captured, there is no hunt on for Sylia Stingray. It was a set up. The others are either dead or captured."

"But, we can't do this," Dawn said. "It will kill millions."

"Yes, at least. It will be interesting to see if this works."

Dawn's eyes widened.

He looked at her. "We can't escape, not now, not if the others have been captured. We might as well go out on a high note."

"But..."

"Just do as I say!" Kirk screamed at her.

Dawn recoiled back from him.

"Do it!"

She nodded and moved towards the main controls to enter the commands.

"And lock the controls down afterwards."

"I will," she said.

Kirk remained where he was, breathing heavily. "I wonder if Sylia is still alive?" he asked softly.

* * *

Getting into the ship through the airlock had been relatively easy. Airlocks were ultimately designed to make it easy to enter a ship. All Sylia really had to do was make the airlock behave in the way it was designed to.

She had entered an airlock that led into the ship's cargo bay. Moving through the cargo bay was simple enough. It was a large, open space and most of the cargo had been removed, transferred to the platform.

Entering the habitat section, where the bridge was located, proved to be rather difficult. The hatch was not an airlock and not designed to be easily opened. It separated compartments in order to minimise the danger if there were hull breach.

The door had been locked in emergency mode. As far as the lock's simple computer was concerned there was hard vacuum in the cargo hold. She checked the other large hatches and discovered that they too had been locked down. There were still the smaller hatches, but Sylia knew she would not be able to get the motoslave through them.

There was the possibility of forcing the larger hatches but that would alert anyone on the ship she was there, if they did not already know. Also, forcing the door might cause similar emergency doors to seal within the habitat sectionif they were not already sealed.

The fastest way would be to go through the smaller hatches.

As she had expected the smaller hatches, which also doubled as emergency airlocks, did open for her with only a little work. Leaving the Hurricane II behind she pulled herself into the small lock and sealed the exterior door, and then moved into the habitat section.

The bridge was near the bow of the ship. Sylia began pulling herself along the corridor that ran port to starboard, looking for a way forward. Not far from where she entered she found a hatch. It was not emergency locked so she had little trouble entering.

She found herself in a commons room. About her were the doors that led into the crew cabins. She gave herself a push and floated up to the entrance to the next deck. The habitat section was built like a skyscraper with each deck set up like a floor of a building, perpendicular to the thrust.

As she opened the hatch to the next deck she was presented with a rather gruesome sight. It was another common room like the one below, but it was filled with bodies: The crew. Their lifeless forms floated amongst globules of congealed blood and other things. Sylia was glad her hardsuit was sealed and she did not have to smell what was in there.

She pushed herself into the room, brushing by bodies and blood globules. With a clinical detachment she examined the bodies. Entry wounds but the lack of exit wounds spoke of low velocity rounds, made so they would not breach the bulkheads of a spacecraft. It was doubtful that any of the crew would have been killed instantly by such rounds. They would have had plenty of time to bleed to death, which explained all the blood.

As she made her way to the next hatch she wondered how they had all been herded into the room so they could be executed.

If Kirk Richards had allies on board Sylia had no doubt she would find out soon enough.

* * *

Whoever was using the ship as the control centreNene was fairly certain it was Kirk Richardswas using the ship's antenna array to communicate with the launcher's systems. It was not difficult for Nene to hook into the system, and the antenna array gave her plenty of places to hide.

The Tempest was near by, using the docking clamps between the ship and the platform as cover. It was watching Nene's back, as it were, letting her work in peace.

Nene discovered that the transmitting dish was protected by a one way gate and an impressive firewall. The antenna that received information from the array was not connected directly to the ship's computer system and sent data through in highly compressed squirt packages. Given time Nene would have worked her way through the later system as it would be easier. She did not have time though, which meant jamming the gate open and hacking the firewall.

As she set to work she thought that she'd rather be sitting at home than clinging to a spacecraft with battle going on about her.

* * *

Priss wished, not for the first time, that someone else was doing her job.

Being able to do some preventive maintenance on her motorcycles, or wiring together an amplifier system did not qualify her to be working on the engine of a spacecraft. Yet there she was.

First she had had to tear the armour platingprotection against micro-meteoritesfrom the unit. After that she had to get the reaction mass from the craft into the engines. That she had accomplished by short-circuiting the fuel pumps. That had been followed up by her tearing a number of safety systems from the assembly.

All that had been easy compared to wiring the remote switch into the ignition controls. She was hampered greatly by the fact that the fingers on her powerarm were not the perfect tools for such work.

Finally she had it in, and it looked good, mostly. All she had to do was check the connections and then bond everything into place so nothing shook loose as it was firing out of the launcher.

"In coming enemy," the Typhoon II's voice came over her com. "Identified as Flecks boomer. Arrival time in thirty seconds."

Priss looked at her still incomplete work. If she stayed and that boomer fired on her it was very likely that the thruster unit would be damaged. If she did not finish the work up though, it might not work.

Given her options Priss did the only thing she could. "Let's go," she called to the Typhoon II as she pushed away from the delivery vehicle. All she could do was hope that it worked when the time came.

She and the Typhoon II sped down the barrel towards the approaching Flecks. It opened up fire on them as it came with near deadly accuracy. As a laser beam scorched the top of her helmet Priss knew that the Flecks she had faced in MegaTokyo were nothing compared to the real units.

"Go in fast," she ordered the Typhoon II. "Draw its fire."

The Typhoon II did just that, flying an erratic pattern as it fired both of its laser cannons at the Flecks, forcing it to go on the defensive for a few seconds. Just as it was closing into grappling range with the Flecks the Typhoon II fired both of its under-barrel missile launchers. The recoil halted the motoslave and the force of the explosion as the missiles detonated drove the Typhoon II backwhich is what it had expected.

The Flecks was left spinning, out of control, for a few seconds.

Priss used those few seconds, moving in close and grabbing onto the boomer's rear carapace. She laid all three of her S-mines on the boomer in rapid succession before launching a rocket assisted kick, detonating all of the leg bombers on her right leg.

The manoeuvre and the explosion sent Priss tumbling away from the Flecks, completely out of control. It was mostly what she had expected and it got her clear of the Flecks just before the S-mines went off.

The Flecks had just taken a huge amount of damage, but was still ready to continue the fight.

Just as it was getting its tumble back under control the Tornado came speeding inpiloted by Linnaand opened up on the large boomer with its 35mm rail guns, the thrusters firing to offset the recoil as it moved forward.

The Typhoon II added its firepower to the attack as well.

Under two such powerful and sudden attacks the Flecks was quickly ripped apart. Priss, who had managed to stop herselfby slamming into the wall of the launcher and grabbing onwatched the impressive display.

"Can't you take care of yourself?" Linna chided as the Tornado came to a stop near Priss.

"I was doing all right," Priss told her. "What's it like out there?"

"It's getting messy. Are you finished up here?"

Priss looked back towards the launch vehicle. "I just need another minute or two. Then we'll go show those Genom bastards that when it comes to fighting boomers there is no one better than us."

* * *

Sylia kicked up to the next deck, passing through the open hatch. She was close to the bridge. A short time before she had taken down a 99C that had been intent on stopping her from continuing. It had not slowed her down much.

As she passed into the next deck she found she had at least one more guard to deal with.

A white and red hyperboomer floated off of the side, its glowing eyes staring at Sylia. Sylia stared back, wondering if the red on it might be blood.

Along the boomers right arm was a long, slightly curved blade, a perfect weapon for use within ships. Sylia slid her own blades free of the housings in her powerarms. She did not want to chance decompression at that point, and they were close to the hull.

The hyperboomer's sword swung down, locking into position. Using its foot it turned itself slightly so its right side was presented to Sylia.

Sylia shifted position slightly, dropping her right arm, preparing the blade.

For several seconds she and the boomer floated, unmoving, simply staring at each other. Sizing each other up, Sylia thought.

Then the boomer's thrust units fired off and it came right at her. Sylia launched herself at it, bringing her blade up, ready to attack.

There was a flash of weapons, and the pure, high ring of metal on metal when they met and then passed each other by.

Light flashing from it, Sylia's Kotetu blade, sliced off almost at its base, spun off.

Sylia hit the far wall with her feet, absorbing the impact, then twisting about, launching herself at the hyperboomer.

The hyperboomer had performed almost the same manoeuvre and was flying back towards Sylia, its deadly blade leading.

Under her helmet Sylia smiled slightly as she raised her right arm, the stump of her broken sword lifted in attack.

When they hit each other both Sylia and the boomer came to a halt, cancelling out the other's forward momentum. Sylia felt it, like the time that fusion boomer had hurled her into that wall. She did not give that much thought. She was watching the boomer's sword, watching the small crack that she had seen appear in it when it had severed her Kotetu.

The crack widened, snapping the blade that should have cut Sylia's powerarm, and her actual arm, in half.

The hyperboomer, momentarily confused by what had happened, was unable to stop the sword in Sylia's left powerarm, her Muramasa, from lashing out, taking its head cleanly from its shoulders.

She followed up the attack by driving her right hand forward, jamming her powerarm's beam cannon up against the boomer's chest. Trusting that the boomer's armour would help to contain the attack and protect the hull, she fired, ending the fight.

She used the lifeless boomer to push off of as she made her way to the hatch that led up to the bridge. It was emergency locked, but Sylia no longer cared about being obvious. Kirk had to know that someone was coming by now.

* * *

"The hyperboomer has been killed," Dawn said.

"Deactivated," Kirk corrected her. "Deactivated. How long till we can fire?"

"Three more minutes, but..."

"No buts. How much damage have we suffered?"

"We've lost power capacitors three and five, but both generators are still at full power output."

"Good, good. Our forces should be able to protect at least one of the generators. We may not get maximum acceleration and final velocity, but it will still work well enough. Say we'll only kill two million instead of five. Will we be able to hit MegaTokyo?"

"I don't think so," Dawn told him. "We've lost a quarter of our station keeping thrusters. It will probably hit somewhere in the northern part of Honshuu."

"Pity," Kirk said softly.

Dawn was about to ask him to stop it once again, though she knew it would be useless, when they heard a loud banging and muffled explosions.

Kirk looked down at the floor, towards the stern. "That's the security door," he said. "Raw power, and a beam weapon are being used for cutting." He listened for a few more seconds. "Two beam weapons, very powerful. They better be careful or they might beach the hull."

"What should we do?" Dawn asked.

He looked over at her. "The computer is locked down, ready to fire?"

She nodded.

"Then all we have to do is greet our guest," he told her, reaching over to grab a large taser from where it floated nearby. "Hardsuit or not, they are going to feel this."

He squeezed the trigger to its first stage, activating the sighing laser. The second stage would fire a low powered laser, just enough to ionise the air. Third stage sent a large amount of electricity down that tunnel of ionised air. He did not expect that armour would make a difference.

The booming stopped a moment later. "Through the security door. Now its just a simple hatch." He swung the weapon down so it was pointing at the hatch in the floor.

A screeching sound of metal on metal set his teeth on edge, but he kept the weapon pointed down. Just open that hatch, he thought, gently squeezing the trigger to near its second stage.

That was when the entire hatch, cut free from its frame, went flying up.

Kirk fired, the electrical charge arced between the barrel of his rifle and the hatch, filling the air with the ozone.

But the figure in the blue and white hardsuit was not near the hatch and came into the bridge so fast Kirk was hardly able to begin shifting his weapon to the new target when it was knocked from his hands.

* * *

Sylia had expected some sort of attack when she entered the bridge and was not, as it were, disappointed.

She slapped the taser from Kirk's hands before giving him a hard push, sending him to bounce off one of the bulkheads.

There was a flash of movement. Sylia turned to find Dawn facing her, holding up a, teddy bear? She discovered there was actually a threat there as Dawn began firing at her. Fortunately the low velocity rounds were no real threat to Sylia, though they ripped the teddy bear apart. Stuffing and bear-fur floated about the bridge.

Sylia pulled the weapon from the sexaroid and then pushed her away, hard.

Before either Kirk or Dawn could think of doing anything else, Sylia had the beam guns in her powerarms pointed at them. "It's over," she said, her voice amplified by the helmet's speakers. "I'm the only one who can survive decompression if it happens so don't force me to fire."

Kirk was holding his right hand in his left, cradling the two broken fingers on his hand. He had hit the bulkhead hard, and might have broken some ribs. Still, he began to laugh. "It's not over. You can't stop it. It will happen, no matter what!" he finished shouting.

Sylia moved closer to him, lining her beam gun up with his head. "You better stop it."

He laughed again. "I'm already dead Sylia! At least this way I get to take some people out with me."

Sylia looked at him and could see the madness in his eyes, the same madness that had been in Douglas Meren's eyes when he had stupidly attacked her.

"Four, this is one, status," Sylia sent.

"I'm still working on it," Nene replied. "It is going to take a few minutes more."

"Keep on it. Two, three, status."

"We are trying to get at the generators but they are too well protected," Linna sent. "The Genom force are down to half now. I don't think we can do it."

"I got the engines rigged," Priss told her. "We won't know if I did it right until we try to fire them."

Sylia wanted to curse. She looked between Kirk, who was still laughing, and Dawn, who was staring at Kirk, a worried look on her face.

Sylia pushed herself so she floated beside Kirk, her Muramasa blade sliding free. When she put it to Kirk's throat he stopped laughing.

"If you want him to live, shut it down," Sylia ordered Dawn.

"Please don't," Dawn cried.

"Don't listen to her!" Kirk shouted. "I'm already dead."

"It doesn't have to be now," Sylia said, twisting the blade slightly, cutting the skin. Blood began to run down the side of the blade. "He'll have a chance," Sylia lied.

Dawn pushed herself from where she had been and began floating towards the sensor station.

"Don't do it Dawn," Kirk began to cry. "It doesn't matter if I die. Don't make my death pointless. Please, don't do this."

Dawn stopped over the sensor station, staring at Kirk.

"If you let this happen then his name will be reviled for hundreds of years. No one will remember the good man he was, just the monster her became," Sylia told the sexaroid.

"I don't care Dawn. I don't want to die alone."

"I won't let that happen," Dawn said, then reached down and began tapping in codes. After several seconds she looked at Sylia. "It's over, and I've stood down the boomers."

"No!" Kirk screamed, surging to his feet. He might have cut his head off on Sylia's sword had she not taken away form his neck. As it was his rapid movement sent him banging into the ceiling.

As he wrapped his hands around his hurt head and began to cry Dawn moved to his side. When she started to put her arms around him he pushed her way. "Don't touch me!" he screamed at her. "Don't touch me," he sobbed, and then completely broke down. When Dawn moved to embrace him again he did not push her away.

Sylia moved away from them and keyed her com system to the Genom frequency. "Red Prime, this is Saber Prime, what is the situation?"

"Enemy units have all stood down. We're moving in to disable all targets, just in case."

"Understood. I have secured this ship, so we have a place to wait."

"Good work Saber Prime. See you soon."

Sylia cut the connection and looked up at the sobbing Kirk and the boomer that was holding him tight, trying to comfort him. She was suddenly reminded of Gibson and Naomi. She remembered what she had said about them, about them being victimised because those in power did nothing.

She wondered just how much Quincy had known all along. How much Quincy had let happen because he was interested in seeing how it might unfold?

Sylia shook her head. Soon she was going to be one of those in power. She wondered if she would do a better job.

At least it was finally over.

* * *

**Tech Notes**: The Genom Orbital Launcher is, as said, a very large rail cannon. This huge device, while very hardy, would be crushed under its own weight, were it in gravity.

The launcher imparts acceleration on the delivery vehicle of such a magnitude that a human would be killed. It is a little rough on the boomers as well. Still, such acceleration ensures that the vehicle will arrive at its target in a reasonable time frame.

So far Genom has launched thirty-eight separate missions since the launcher has been in operation. That not a single one has been lost is something Genom is rather proud of. Critics point out that some of those missions are still in transit and that problems may arise when the delivery vehicle arrives on target. Whether this is a valid concern or just a case of sour grapes, only time will tell.

Genom's first mission used the GOL to launch fourteen small probes (sixty meters long, fifteen meters in diameter) towards each of the planets (minus Earth), the Sun, two into the asteroid belt, and three into the space beyond Pluto.

The information still being transmitted back to Earth from the probes has been of immense scientific value.

That the launcher could be used as an incredibly powerful weapon was lost on few. To alleviate that fear Genom ensured a policy that had the GOL disassembled immediately after a launch and then reassembled just in time for the next launch. This, as well as other safety features made the GOL seem harmless.

Since the recent affair Genom has increased the security around the GOL as well as adding new protocols that will ensure that such an incident can never happen again. It should be noted that Genom though such a thing could never happen in the first place.

The GOL takes a month to completely disassemble and a month to completely reassemble. The cost of the system is prohibitive and if used as a weapon it would make nuclear weapon's look tame.

GOL Delivery Vehicles: The vehicles are simply cylinders, built mostly with ceramics, however enough ferrous materials are used to allow the magnetic fields of the launcher to effect it. The simplest are simply housings for equipment, much like the probes used in the first mission. The most complex are space ships, containing a large number of systems to make sure it gets to exactly where it is going.

Where Genom saves in cost and mass is the ability to do away with a large amount of reaction mass that would have to be used were it not for the launcher. To further decrease the amount of reaction mass required for braking and changing their vectors a number of these vehicles have been equipped with scoops. These scoops gather what hydrogen, and other particles they can, which are given a charge, and then fired out of the thruster ports by means of electromagnetic fields.

Still, any vehicle that has to come to a stop is given enough reaction mass to do so.

The Venus mission Delivery Vehicle, as it could not use any other planetary bodies for a gravity brake, and would in fact be falling in towards the system, carried quite a large amount of reaction mass to slow the vehicle before it would make contact with Venus' atmosphere.

Furthermore it was structurally reinforced to take the stress of planetfall. While Genom had already performed such a mission on Mars, there was some worry that putting down on Venus, even on the cooler poles, would add complications that the designers could never envision.

It should be noted that if the launcher had fired, Priss' modifications would not have stopped it from hitting Earth. It would have slowed it down to the point where it would have only impacted at a speed of 10kps. Also it would have impacted somewhere in central China.

Whether Genom could have benefited from such an occurrence will now never be known.

The Venus mission launched two weeks behind schedule.

_"Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this.  
"A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from you dreams"  
"When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. But not having attained one's aim and continuing to live is cowardice"  
_-**Yamamoto Tsunetomo**


	43. No Armour Against Fate 10

**Bubble Gum Crisis**  
An Alternate Story of the Knight Sabers  
2034 Year of the Tiger  
Neo No Armour Against Fate (Section 5 of 5)  
No Armour Against Fate (10 of 10)  
by Shawn Hagen(2000) 

Based on situations and characters created by Suzuki Toshimichi.

**April 19th, Wednesday, 3:53am, Oak Park, Illinois**

Domino stood by the picture window of the condominium, staring out at the lights of the suburb. Supposedly Ernest Hemingway had been born nearby. Domino could not say for sure, nor did she really care. She looked at her watch. She expected him to arrive soon.

She stepped away from the windows, pulling the blinds closed. There were no lights on within the condo, but that could change. She stepped over the body of the condo's former tenant. She had been a foolish woman who had believed Largo when he had promised her immortality. Just another part of Largo's insane plans and now no longer a problem. She, Rei, and a large group of other agents had just spent the last few days tracking down the links in the chain and cutting them.

A moment later there was a knock at the door. Domino reached under her coat and made sure that her weapons were ready, then walked to the door and opened it.

The man standing there was tall, broad shouldered, thin waisted, with long black hair and dark blue eyes.

He seemed to be a little surprised to see Domino standing there. "Is Marion here?" he asked.

Domino smiled, giving him her best 'innocent/harmless' look. "I'm Domonique," she said, putting a slight Quebecois accent into her voice. She did not expect the man to be alive in an hour or two, but she was not about to take any chances. "You must be Conrad."

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Listen, Marion called me and told me that there was something important she had to tell me."

Domino nodded. "Marion suddenly had to leave, but she asked me to meet you and tell you where she went."

"So, where did she go?"

"Oh, sorry. She told me that she would be waiting for you at that place, just outside of Joliet."

He nodded. "Great, thank you."

"No problem. I was wondering, could you give me a ride there as well?"

"Uh sure, but why?"

"I don't know," Domino gave him her 'I'm harmless' smile again. "She just told me to come there as well after had I told you. My car is kind of a lemon and..." she trailed off, making herself blush a little.

He nodded. "Sure. Come on."

"Thank you,' Domino said, stepping out of the condo, pulling the door closed with her gloved hand.

"My car is just in front of the building. So, how long have you known Marion?"

"Not long," Domino told him. "But we became very close in a short time."

* * *

It was nearly two hours later when Conrad stopped the car in front of a small house several kilometres outside of Joliet. "The place looks empty," he said as he climbed out of the car. 

"Does it?" Domino asked as she got out and looked around. "Well I guess that is because Marion isn't here."

"What?" Conrad turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry, I've led you here on a bit of a false pretence."

"What are you talking about?" he looked a little alarmed. Understandably so all things considered.

"I brought you out here to tell you something. The twelve students of the master have failed in their tasks. You must awaken."

Conrad took a step back, as if he had suffered a dizzy spell. He put his hand to his forehead, a moment of confusion passed over his face. Then it was gone. He straightened and looked at Domino. His eyes seemed to glow. "I see," he said, his voice ringing with confidence. "I have much work to do. Tell me, who are you?"

"I'm the woman who wanted you to know why I was killing you," Domino told him as she triggered her adrenal pump.

A confused look crossed his face, almost as if he was wondering if Domino was making a joke.

Domino did not give him time to decide. She pulled out a pair of Magnetic Launchers, the same ones that Akiko had used the night she died.

The boomer, for that was what Conrad was, was not an Omni-Boomer, like Largo had been. He was a nanite constructed hyperboomer though, and not something to be underestimated.

Domino moved as fast as she could, swinging both of the weapons up, centring them on Conrad's chest, and then squeezing the triggers.

The hail of fire tore into Conrad before he could move and ripped him apart, sending him jerking back.

When both of Domino's weapons went dry most of the boomer's chest had been blown out. She watched as Conrad fell back to lie unmoving on the ground.

Domino popped the empty magazines free, slotted two full ones into the weapon, then used one to walk fire up and down Conrad's body, just to make sure. The empty pistol went back into its holster under her coat and Domino removed her NAVI. She flipped it open and used her thumb to tap in the number.

When the call was answered she said, "It's done. Send in the clean up team."

Later, when the cleanup team was picking up what was left of Conrad, Domino wandered off and stared up at the sky. It was nice to clean up all the old, loose ends. It made it possible to proceed into the future without worries. Pity it was so hard to do.

* * *

**April 19th, Wednesday, 6:54pm, GMT**

Nene floated as she watched the launch platform fall away as the courier ship boosted away from it. They were on their way to Genaros where the Knight Sabers and Thomas Tran would part company. The rest of Thomas' team had been left back at the launcher as a security detail, and no doubt to help keep the identities of the Knight Sabers secret.

Priss was currently in one of the cabins, zoned out on anti-nausea medicine. Linna was in a hold with Thomas, learning about Zero-G combat.

In one of the ship's holds, under a suicide watch, was Kirk Richards. In another hold Dawn was being held. The fact that they wanted to be together seemed to have made no impression on Thomas. Even when Sylia had suggested that they be kept together he had not changed his mind.

Nene did not know who she felt sorrier for, Kirk or Dawn.

"So that's it?" Nene turned carefully to look at Sylia.

"That's it," Sylia said from her chair.

"So now the Knight Sabers will go our separate ways," Nene said. It was something she had been thinking about for some time.

"I'm sure we will see each other again." Sylia smiled. "At least we can openly fraternise with each other."

"We were doing that anyway," Nene said.

"Yes, I know," Sylia said in a way that suggested she still did not care for that.

"Can you, can we trust Genom?"

"As much as we have to."

"What if we were to try to use the information we have against them?"

"It depends on how you want to use it. In a court of law they would want to know how you got it. Then they would have it ruled inadmissible when you told them and then they would sue you for dragging their clean name through the mud. In any other way, if you were likely to be a real annoyance they would probably just kill you."

"How can you just deal with a company like that?"

"It is not easy."

"Why did it have to end like this?" Nene turned away from Sylia to look out the window.

"Because killing Quincy in cold blood, or destroying Genom, were not things we could have done."

Nene was silent for a time. "Do you know that Devon Okami is Priss' grandfather?" she finally asked.

"No," Sylia said. "Is he?"

"The Genom central computer told me. I think it was making conversation."

"That would have been useful to know a long time ago."

"I could understand Priss wanting to give up her fight against Genom," there was something like an accusation in Nene's tone.

"Nene-san, do you know one of the main reasons that I chose to give up the Knight Sabers when Quincy made his offer?"

"You wanted your father's technology." Nene did not turn to look at Sylia.

"Because I wanted it in a way that would not end up with you, Linna or Priss being killed for my vengeance."

Nene turned slightly then pushed off the wall, grabbing a handhold to stop her flight when she was over Sylia.

"Really?"

"Really." Sylia looked up at the young woman. "Vengeance is ultimately destructive. Remember Gibson?"

Nene nodded after a moment.

"I chose to stop my quest before it cost me more than I am willing to pay."

"But Genom gets away clean," Nene said. "That's wrong."

"Nothing lasts forever Nene-chan. Genom's time will come. Is it that important that we have something to do with that?" Sylia held out her hand.

Nene said nothing for almost a minute then reached down and took Sylia's hand, smiling slightly.

Sylia pulled her down so she could get into the seat beside her. "It still doesn't seem right," Nene said.

"We'll have to live with that I guess."

* * *

**April 20th, Thursday, 12:21am, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada**

Priss pulled her jacket tighter around herself at the memory of the cold outside. When she had stepped out of the shuttle, and that wind had hit her, she was sure she was going to freeze solid. After being amazed during the pass over of that big lake, the cold was an unpleasant contrast. Why did a place that looked so beautiful have to be so damn cold?

She, Sylia and Linna sat in the deserted first class lounge, waiting for the Genom sub-orbital that would take them back to Japan. Nene was off somewhere, looking around, showing the same excitement as a ten year old in a new place, Priss thought.

Shrugging off the jacket, it was well heated in the lounge after all, she reached for a mug of coffee on the table in front of her.

"What are you going to do now?" Sylia asked her.

"What I've been doing for the last little while," she picked up the mug. "Just with less boomer fighting."

"Do you think you will be able to?"

"Just because my grandfather happens to be one of the richest men in Japan, you think that would change me?" She put the mug down without taking a drink. "I wish Nene had never found that out and told you."

"You wish?" Linna said.

"Hey, it doesn't matter if the old man you fucked was my grandfather or not, you are still a sick woman with a granddaddy complex. I thought Mackie was bad with his sister complex."

"What?" Linna demanded.

"Are you going to use this brand of charm during interviews when you get famous?" Sylia asked.

"No," Priss said, smiling, "I save this for my friends."

"Lucky us," Linna moaned theatrically.

"It does change things you know," Sylia said, getting back to the original topic.

"I know." Priss shrugged her shoulders. "I still don't know what to do about it."

"If you need any help..."

"Thanks," Priss smiled at Sylia, wondering when they had become that close. Perhaps since the day they had met and it had just taken them a long time to realise it.

"Don't ask for my help," Linna said. "I'm a sick woman remember."

"I've always known you were sick," Priss told her. "It is one of the things I like about you. You make me look like a decent person."

"Largo could not have made you look like a decent person," Linna countered.

Their war of words was interrupted by the door to the lounge banging open. "Sylia, Priss, Linna." Nene ran into the room, almost slipping as she stopped. "Come on, you have to see this," she said, then turned and ran from the lounge.

"An eight year old," Priss said as she stood.

"What?" Sylia asked.

"Nothing. Let's go see what has got her so excited."

Sylia, Linna and Priss left the lounge, following after Nene who kept waving them on. Priss groaned and pulled up her jacket zipper as she saw Nene go outside.

It was really dark out there, Priss noticed as she walked out. The lights of the landing field were mostly blocked out and the city was some distance away. Then she saw what Nene had pulled them out there to see.

Across the sky was a curtain of multicoloured light, seeming to ripple and move like a line of marching soldiers.

"Wow," Priss whispered.

"Aurora Borealis," Sylia said, looking up at the lights.

"Northern lights," Linna said.

"Pretty," Nene said.

"Hai," Sylia nodded.

"This almost makes it all worth it," Priss said.

And the four women stood outside, in spite of the cold, staring up at the sky for a long time

* * *

**April 20th, Thursday, 10:01pm, MegaTokyo**

Linna was feeling a little exhausted as she pushed open the stage door to the theatre. That she found it open was probably due in thanks to Devon. He made it hard for someone to stay mad at him. She wondered how Priss would deal with it.

She walked into the locker room, looking around. No one was there and the place was neat and clean. Tomorrow was the opening night of Andrea's latest production. She suspected that all the other dancers were at home getting some rest.

She left the lockers and walked to the wings. The theatre lights were on and she could see the stage was lit. Linna was not sure if it was the best time for the confrontation that she was about to have. She was very tired after all and only six hours before she had been in another country. Of course before that she had been in space.

Linna shook her head. She was going to have to speak with her sensei sooner or later and sooner was probably better.

She took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage.

"You're late," Andrea said. "Several days late."

"I know Kikuchi-sensei," Linna said.

"And you can't tell me where you've been."

"No sensei."

Andrea nodded. "Do you know what I am going to do in a month?"

Linna shook her head.

"I'm going to lease out this theatre and take the entire troupe on tour. We'll start in Japan, then head over to America. Start on the West coast, move between the US and Canada, hitting all the big venues. After that maybe we'll go down to South America. London, the rest of Europe, Asia, a world tour really. It is something I like to do ever few years, when I have the funding.

"By the time it is done I've lost many of my dancers. They've been hired by other organisations, or married, or just found something else that would make them happy. When I finally get back to Japan I have to start all over again, which is what I like."

Andrea looked at Linna for several seconds. "Interested in coming Yamazaki-san?"

"Hai!" Linna said.

"Good. Tomorrow we're opening our new production. Show me what you have. If you are good enough you play a lead role. You screw up and I stick you in the back and you can expect to stay there for quite some time."

Linna nodded as she slipped out of her jacket. Learning to move in Zero-G had taught her a few new tricks.

She would show Andrea control within chaos.

* * *

**April 21st, Friday, 11:52pm**

Priss jumped back from the microphone, swinging her guitar around, hitting the strings hard. The rest of the bad was there for her, supporting her, helping her get the audience moving. She was at Hot LegsKano had another band booked to play at the Hard Rock that night.

She could have just rested a few days until her next job at the Hard Rock, but Priss did not want to rest. She wanted to play.

The music came to a hard stop. Priss moved back to the microphone, grabbing it. She waited until the crowd quieted down a little. "Nice to see you remember us."

There were shouts from the audience, most promising her that they would never forget her or the Replicants. Priss smiled.

"Been a while since I was last here. Hope you didn't miss me too much."

There were more shouts. Priss loved playing audiences like that.

"Not sure when I'll get back here again, so who knows, this might be a farewell."

Her audience did not like the sound of that, even if half of them would come and see her at the Hard Rock.

"But if this is going to be a farewell, then I'm going to make it a good one," she shouted, then began playing her guitar, the opening of 'Akuma to Tenshi no kisu'. It was nice to go back to the old songs, the old places, some times, especially before she was about to move out into the unknown.

Everything had changed, Priss thought as she sang the words, "'Love' kokoro de sakebe(shout love with your heart)." That was life.

And Priss knew, as well as anyone, that life could be hard.

Yet there were times, few as they were, when everything was right. For Priss it was when she stood on a stage, making her audience feel what she felt. Or when she was balancing her life on the edge of her fighting skills, when she more alive than any other time.

Those times were enough for her. They were enough to keep living for.

* * *

**April 22nd, Saturday, 12:43pm**

Nene sat at a table in one of the cafeterias, eating her salad, staring out the third floor window, looking down on the plaza. Official classes would be starting soon and things would be getting busy. As she picked up her cola Nene wondered if she should join one of the University clubs. It was sort of expected, and now that the Knight Sabers we no longer in operation she would have some free time on her hands.

"Excuse me Romanova-san, may I speak to you?"

Nene turned, a little surprised to see Kumiko Yusa standing there. Nene did not want to speak to her, but she had been taught the value of politeness by her mother. Those were not the kind of lessons one forgot. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you," Kumiko said as she took a seat.

"How are you?" Nene asked, making small talk.

"Fine, thank you," she said. "I heard that Kawai-sensei has taken over as your advisor."

"Hai." Nene nodded. "He seems like a nice man," Nene said, stressing 'seems' ever so slightly.

"You'll like Kenji, he is an innocent and he just wants to help his students."

"I'm glad of that. It will make a nice change."

Kumiko sighed. "Romanova-san, I want you to promise me something, though I know that you don't owe me anything."

"Why should I promise you anything?" Nene said, bordering on rudeness.

"At least listen?"

Nene nodded after several seconds.

"Don't judge Genom Daigaku by my actions or the actions of Genom. This is a good school and it can help you become what you want. You are thinking of transferring out of this University next year, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Don't do it just because you don't like Genom. Don't do it because of what I did. Keep an open mind and see what the school can offer you."

"I'll think about it," Nene said.

Kumiko got to her feet. "Thank you for listening to me Romanova-san. I hope that you can keep your honour and innocence even though you know the truth. I know I couldn't."

"Did you even try?" Nene asked her.

She smiled sadly. "More than you will ever know," Kumiko said. "Goodbye Romanova-san." She turned and walked away.

Nene watched her go, then turned back to her salad. Kumiko's words bothered her a little. They made her think of Sylia.

* * *

**April 23rd, Sunday, 1:09pm**

Sylia had told herself that she just wanted to see Domino for business purposes. After all, she would need a liaison with Genom and Domino Odotte seemed like the best choice. She had not really believed that though. She would not have suggested meeting in a hotel room in the St. Regis if she had really been interested in a business meeting.

It seemed like moments after she and Domino had entered the room that they were kissing. And it was such a wonderful kiss. She could just smell the perfume that Domino used, the floral scent in her long, silky black hair. It must have come from the shampoo she used. And then there were the pheromones, not that Sylia could actually smell them, but she knew they were there.

She wanted the moment to last forever.

And yet she knew it was wrong.

"No," she said so softly that she was not sure if she had not thought the word.

Suddenly the arms holding her, the body next to hers, was gone. She opened her eyes, looking at Domino who now sat at the opposite end of the couch. She showed no signs of the kiss but for a slight smudging of her lipstickand a quick brush with her handkerchief took care of that.

"I'm sorry," Sylia said.

"For what Stingray-sama?" Domino asked, her demeanour was perfectly calm.

Sylia felt slightly cross at that. How dare she simply suppress her emotions? Sylia hid that anger though. "A relationship between us would be difficult."

"Why?" Domino asked, her aspect softening a little.

Sylia sighed. "I've never been attracted to women in a sexual way."

"Would it help if I pointed out I am not, technically speaking, a woman?"

"It might, if I believed that."

"I guess we have a problem."

"The problem is that I am attracted to you."

"That being the case, I don't see that we actually have a problem after all," Domino told her.

"We do," Sylia said as she got to her feet. "You were designed to be attractive. If I was not attracted to you that would be odd." She turned and looked at Domino. "One moment I see you and I feel like I need to protect you. The next moment I am sure that you can protect me. You are an ingenue, a temptress, a tomboy, every mode of womanhood and femininity. You use innocence, carelessness, brazenness and sophistication as weapons. How can I not be attracted to that? I never had a chance."

Sylia dropped back onto the couch, feeling a little confused. It was not a feeling she liked. "I hope that whoever designed you got an impressive bonus."

"Actually," Domino said, looking over at Sylia. "I had those people killed for worry they might be able to compromise my secret."

Sylia stared at Domino, her eyes widening.

Domino laughed. "Stingray-san. If you believe everything that someone from Genom tells you then you will be at a severe disadvantage.

"There were three of them," she said, leaning back in the couch. "Two women, an artist and a plastic surgeon, and a man, a sculptor. They were brought in to design our forms. I think they did a very good job on us."

"And you are not worried that they could compromise your secret?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to live in fear over it. If it happens I will deal with it then."

Sylia shook her head. "I find that attractive as well."

"So you find me attractive, so I have an unfair advantage, what does it matter?"

"It matters because we are attracted to each other for the wrong reasons. We don't actually know each other."

"We know each other."

"We don't!" Sylia said, louder than she intended. "You only know what Mason knew about me, and if Mason had really known me he would not be dead. I don't know you beyond what I knew of Mason and the fact I am extremely grateful to you for easing a worry I had, about who I was. Wonderful as that might be, it is not enough."

"So we get to know each other."

"There is another problem."

"You do like making your life complicated," Domino said, trying to make a joke of it though it came out sounding a little like an accusation.

"I don't like you working for Genom, or more to the point I don't like Genom. For all the good they do, the company's, Quincy's, amoral stand bothers me. Leave Genom. Come work for me. It will give us the chance we need to really learn who the other is."

Domino smiled sadly. "It sounds wonderful, but I can't leave Genom."

"Why? If it is Quincy who is holding you there I'll get him to let you go."

"I'm not a piece of property that Quincy-shachou owns," Domino told her.

"I'm sorry," Sylia said, feeling slightly ashamed.

"I know," Domino said as she got to her feet. She walked to the window and spread the slats of the blinds so she could look out. "Quincy-shachou would not stop me from leaving Genom, if I wanted to. He knows I am too smart to try to hurt the company. He might regret my going, but he would not stop me."

"So why not leave?"

Domino turned to look at Sylia. "What would I do in your company?"

Sylia blinked, a little surprised by the question. "You could handle security."

Domino laughed. "I suspect you already have your head of security picked out. He or she would never be able to trust me fully, seeing as I was once part of Genom. That would compromise your security."

"Well, we could move you into research. You are bound to have some interesting ideas on the use of boomers and how they could be improved."

"You would think that, wouldn't you," Domino said. "It is not my strength though."

"Well, do what you are doing in Genom."

At that Domino laughed, a cruel edge in it that made Sylia feel like she had been slapped. "Do you really want to operate like that?"

"I suppose not," Sylia said after a moment.

"Do you know what they call me, the movers and shakers of the business world?"

Sylia shook her head.

"Quincy's Angel of Death. They know when I show up that things are about to change. That lives are about to be destroyed. They are afraid of me and as twisted as it is, I like that. If I come to work for Stingray Industries, people will fear you are going to play Genom's games. Do you want that."

"No, but there has to be something we can do."

Domino shook her head. "I don't think so. I need Genom too much."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm a combat unit. Twenty percent of my AI chip is hardwired for combat. Every second of every day it is keeping tabs of everything, ready for all hell to break loose so when it does I'm ready. If I'm not in a situation where that can be used I tend to get cranky. There is always threat enough in Genom to keep me happy."

"That is ridiculous," Sylia told her, even though the explanation reminded her of Priss. "And if it is true, fine. You'll head up my black-ops division. No one will know you work for me and you'll get plenty of action."

Domino thought about that for a few seconds. "It is tempting, and I would be good at it, but no matter what, there is still one thing keeping me in Genom."

"What?" Sylia asked.

Domino turned back to the window, staring at the blinds. "In my short existence I have done, well, terrible things. I've destroyed lives, ripped families apart and humiliated people all in the process of my job." Domino said nothing for several seconds then turned to face Sylia. "And I don't regret any of it. I've been cruel, but only when being cruel was the only option, or when the person in question deserved it."

"No regrets?" Sylia said softly. "I envy you that."

Domino smiled sadly. "One regret actually. I killed a friend, more than a friend, a mother in some ways, an older sister in others. I killed her because in the end, it was easier to kill her than to not kill her. I killed her because I did not want to spend an extra year or two earning Quincy's trust. And Kami-sama help me, I killed her because I was jealous. I could not stand the fact she was not completely loyal to me."

Sylia said nothing, she could think of nothing to say to that.

"If I leave Genom it is like I say her death was useless, pointless. That in the end she did not matter. I won't do that."

"And you had the gall to say that you were not a woman, not human," Sylia said. "The dead don't care Domino. They just don't care. If she were alive would she want you to be happy?"

Domino thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "She would."

"Then be happy."

She smiled. "The dead may not care, but the living do. You know that as well as anyone." Domino walked towards the door and took her long coat from the hook on the door. "I think this is goodbye."

"You are making a mistake," Sylia told her.

"Perhaps," Domino nodded. "Maybe now I'll be able to say I have two regrets." She unlocked the door.

"My father created you too well," Sylia said softly.

"Yes, he did," Domino said as she opened the door and stepped from the room. "Good bye Sylia, I won't forget you." Then she closed the door and was gone.

Sylia stared at the closed door for a time, then got to her feet and walked to the window, spreading the slats of the blind as Domino had. She was able to look down at the street in front of the hotel's entrance. A short time later she saw Domino, walking from the hotel.

She watched, waiting for the flash of light off pale skin to tell her that the woman had turned and looked back at the hotel. It never came. Then Domino rounded a corner and was gone from her sight.

"Good bye Domino, I cannot forget you."

Sylia walked to the bed and picked up her own coat. She looked around for a moment then walked to the door and left.

* * *

As soon as Domino turned the corner and was no longer in sight of the hotel she stopped, put her back to a wall, and fell against it. She let her shields go, let the emotions hit her and used only her own self control to keep from crying. 

She pulled her sunglasses off and wiped angrily at those tears, as if that would stop them. It did not. Domino balled her fists and pushed them into her closed eyes. She would not cry. She had made the choice on her own and it was for the best.

People stared at her as they passed by. A few asked if she was all right. Domino told them to leave her alone. She did not wanted to be comforted.

"Damn you D," she said softly. "I so wanted to just turn my back on all this. Why did you have to try to recreate him? Why couldn't you have left me as I was?"

There was no answer of course.

Domino stood up and put her sunglasses back on. She had no time for feeling sorry for herself. She had work to do. This was her life and she would not cry over it. Perhaps she might not be happy, she thought as she began walking, but at least she would have power and that counted for something.

* * *

Later, Domino was in her office, looking over the last few reports she had to deal with. Everything had come together nicely. Largo's people had finally been dealt with, the Knight Sabers had disbanded, Sylia Stingray would be moving her work into the lab, which could only benefit Genom, and her own position was secure. 

She actually felt good about that, about the work she had done.

"Here is the last report Domino-sama," Rei said as she came into Domino's office.

"Good, thank you," Domino said, taking the disk from Rei.

"Domino-sama, may I ask you something?"

"Yes," Domino said as she slotted the disk into her computer.

"What will happen to the other 33-Ss?"

"You mean the others that Lagro took."

"Yes."

Domino read the over the first part of the report. "Hard to say. I suspect that they will be put back in storage, sent up to Genaros or destroyed. If they are destroyed I suspect most of them will end up in glass tubes, in the basement," she said, alluding to Yoshiaki Majima's lab. "I had enough trouble keeping Akiko out of his hands."

"Couldn't they come work for you?"

Domino looked up at her, wondering for a moment if Rei was joking. When she saw that she was not she shook her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't add nine more sexaroids to my staff without someone saying something. Several of them have been traumatised and I don't have time to deal with that. It simply can't happen."

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"No," Domino told her. "They will likely be destroyed and there is nothing we can do to stop that," as she said that she was looking right into Rei's eyes, wondering what she might do.

"There has to be something!"

"There isn't. You can't save everyone, whether they are human or boomer. Sometimes you just have to accept that. Sometimes you just have to look out for yourself and maybe a few others. One of the hardest things about power is learning what it can't do."

Rei looked defiant for a moment, then her face softened. "I understand," she said.

"That was hard, wasn't it?"

Rei nodded.

"I'll see if I can get them sold to Stingray Industries. If Stingray-san wants them, then we can transfer them to her care. I suspect that she will have use for them, and will be happy to have them."

"Thank you Domino-sama," Rei said enthusiastically.

"Don't thank me yet. We'll see if this can work."

Rei nodded. "You are better than you think you are Domino-sama."

Domino looked at Rei, a curious look on her face. "That was an odd thing to say."

Rei smiled. "I'm a 33-S, I know what to say to make people feel better." Rei then turned and left the office.

Domino leaned back in her chair and thought about what she had said.

* * *

Shileea Satto looked up from her desk as she heard her door open. Domino had just come it. 

"Working late Satto-hakase?"

"Just finishing up some paperwork. The reports on the physical condition of the 33-S brought in from space will be on your desk on Monday."

"I'm not here for that," Domino told her.

"Did you scrape your knee and want me to put a bandage on it?" Shileea asked.

"You make this very easy Satto-hakase."

"What do I make easy?"

"You're fired."

Shileea looked a little surprised. "You have to work on your sense of humour."

"Perhaps fired is too strong of a word. Let us say that I am releasing you from your contract and advising you to go work for Stingray Industries."

"So that is not just a rumour."

Domino shook her head.

"Why?"

"You said you wanted someone you could talk shop with. I'm sure you'll find Stingray-san an adequate conversationalist. Also, Quincy-Shachou wants Stingray Industries to be a success, so I want Stingray Industries to be a success. You can help with that. Your talents are, to an extent, wasted here."

Shileea said nothing for several seconds. "And there is no other reason?"

"What other reason could there be?"

"You want a plant within this new company."

Domino smiled and shook her head. "Talented as you are Satto-hakase, you would make a very poor spy."

"Well, just who is going to take care of you and your girl Friday when you get hurt, and you will."

"I'll program one of the paramedic boomers to take over such duties."

"A paramedic boomer? I would not trust one of those to lance a blister."

"You won't have to. I on the other hand am fairly certain that a properly programmed paramedic boomer can take care of myself and Rei well enough."

"I would like to think about this," Shileea said. "It is a big step."

"Of course. If you do choose to go I can promise you a very generous severance package."

"A bribe to go or hush money?"

"Either, or neither. If you'll excuse me," Domino said, and left the office, shutting the door behind her.

She was fairly certain that Shileea would go to work with Stingray Industries.  
Domino had lied to Shileea though. There was one more reason she wanted her to go and work with Sylia. If Sylia wanted to get to know Domino better she was certain that Shileea would be able to tell Sylia all she needed to know. After all, using a nakoudo(matchmaker/go-between) was a fine tradition.

It was a faint chance, but far better than none.

* * *

**August 29th, Tuesday, 2:28pm, MegaTokyo**

"I have to go," Nene said, breaking the kiss.

"Do you have to?" Mitsuo Iso asked, a slight pleading tone to his voice that Nene liked.

"Yes I have to," Nene told the Teaching Assistantnot one of hers. "I have to meet some friends.

"Can we do something tonight? Maybe go out to dinner?"

"I'll think about it," Nene told him, giving him her best smile before she left his office.

She liked Mitsuo; he was a bit of a wimp, but a nice wimp. After Kaoru she liked someone with a little less confidence. Not that Nene was thinking of any sort of permanent relationship with him. He was fun, but not the sort of person one wanted to spend a life with.

Plus Nene was sure that her mother, if she were to meet him, would rip him into little pieces of confetti.

She left the office building and crossed the campus to where her motorcycle was parked. She quickly unlocked the cable that was linking it to a security ring set in the ground, then stuffed the cable into her backpack. Not long afterwards she was pulling into traffic, heading towards Shibuya.

As she pulled up to the coffee shop she saw Priss was already there, leaning up against the wall. "Nice bike," she called to Nene as the redhead took off her helmet. "Why did you replace that F4 you were driving?"

"Heard good things about this new Triumph," Nene said as she got off the red and white street bike. "And I had a little spare money, so I thought I would give it a try."

Priss smiled. "There may be hope for you yet. Come on, I'll buy you a coffee."

Nene activated her bike's alarm then followed Priss into the café. A short time later they were sitting by the front window, their drinks in front of them.

"So, what's new?" Priss asked Nene.

"Not much really. Got a new boyfriend."

"What's he like?"

"Harmless."

"Boring."

"Yes," Nene said with a smile. "Good kisser though."

"I'll drink to that," Priss said, lifting her coffee cup. Nene smiled and lifted her own, the cups chiming as their rims came together.

"What about you?" Nene asked.

"I've been told I'm an adequate kisser."

"I'll trust you on that, but I was more interested in your life."

Priss smiled. "Finished up the tour in England, about half-way though the American run. The album is really taking off. I'm glad I got to take this break."

"When is it going to be released here?" Nene asked.

"Two weeks, but," Priss reached into the courier bag she carried, "early release for you." She handed two CDs to Nene.

Nene took them. "Wow." She opened one up and looked through the liner notes. "This is great."

"It's adequate."

"Give me your autograph," Nene said, holding the liner notes out to Priss.

"Normally I don't give autographs," Priss said as she took the liner notes and then signed them. "To my friend Nene-chan, the cry baby wimp."

"You've such a way with words," Nene said as she pushed the second set of liner notes to Priss. "Sign that for my mother. She'll be thrilled you remembered her."

"As if I could forget," Priss said as she signed the second set.

Nene smiled as she took back both sets of liner notes and slid them back into their respective jewel cases. "So why did you come back to MegaTokyo right now?" Nene asked.

"Well, I like this place, and also David came up with a crazy idea for some publicity before the album gets released here."

"What?"

"I'm going to play a concert with the Shinjuku Philharmonic orchestra."

"Shinjuku Philharmonic?"

"They're new on the scene, which is why I am here. David thinks it's a great idea and the Shinjuku Phil could used a little publicity as well so they are all for it."

"You'll play your music?"

"What other music would I play?"

"That will sound great," Nene said.

"We'll see," Priss removed several pieces of paper from her shirt pocket. "And I do mean we."

"Tickets?" Nene said, looking at them. "For me?"

"And about six other people you might want to bring along. Don't bother giving one to Leon. Yuuko is taking care of him."

"Thank you," Nene said.

"Don't mention it. Speaking of Leon, seen him much?"

"About two weeks ago. I stopped by the ADP building and gave him a hand finding some information he needed. He can be so helpless at times. When was the last time you saw him?"

"Must have been a few months ago." Priss smiled slightly and shook her head. "It was kind of nice that he was so worried about me. I'm almost jealous of Yuuko, almost."

"When we got back I found several messages waiting for me. He wanted me to find out just where you were."

"I don't know if he was happier that I was all right, or that the Knight Sabers were still around," she said in a soft voice.

"I still can't believe that we put on that façade in May," Nene said.

Priss shrugged her shoulders. "The Knight Sabers had to make one last appearance and be victorious. We could have waited for something to happen, but who had the time?"

"Still, setting up a boomer incident with Genom..." Nene shook her head.

"Things like that happen, as weird as they are. And speaking of weird, what is Genom Daigaku like?"

"It's good. I gave it a chance and it turned out pretty nice. Oh, I joined the campus motorcycle club."

"You are joking?"

Nene shook her head. "They say I might be able to race next year."

"Your mother must be thrilled about that."

"She still has not accepted the motorcycle. I've not got around to telling her about the club."

"Coward."

"As if you are not afraid of her."

"Of course not," Priss said.

"Want to come to dinner tonight then?"

Priss gave Nene a hard stare. "When did you stop playing fair?"

"When I decided that I was going to be like you," Nene laughed.

Priss shook her head and looked out the window. "There's Mackie," she said after a moment.

Mackie was crossing the street, an attractive girl on either arm. All three were wearing school uniforms. "There may be hope for him as well," Priss said.

"He's such a little playboy," Nene said, sounding disgusted.

"Jealous?"

"No," Nene said.

They watched Mackie as he said his goodbyes to the young women with him and then came into the café. He got a cup of coffee from the counter then came over to where Priss and Nene were sitting. "It's been a while."

"Sit down boy," Priss said.

They exchanged pleasant greetings and filled Mackie in on what they had been talking about. Priss gave Mackie one of her CDs and three tickets after making him promise not to make out during the concert. Mackie blushed.

"So, what is Sylia-san up to?" Priss asked him.

"She's working on her Doctorate at Oxford right now. She tells me she is going to present in a couple of months."

"I thought she was still at MIT," Nene said.

Mackie shook his head. "She presented her Master's thesis last month and then left. I think she is upsetting some people with the speed at which she is doing this."

"I bet Sylia tells them to screw themselves, just in a polite way," Priss said.

"I don't think so," Mackie told her.

"Anyone hear from Linna lately?" Nene asked.

"We bumped into each other at the Chicago airport," Priss said. "Figure the odds."

"How is she?"

"She looks all right, a bit tired, but happy."

"I'm glad," Nene said.

"So what about Okami-san?" Mackie asked Priss.

"What about him?"

"I'm just curious."

Priss shrugged her shoulders. "I'm still trying to figure him out."

"You don't figure family out Priss-san," Nene said. "You survive them."

Priss laughed softly at that, as did Mackie.

"I'm not sure he is family, though we are related. I'm probably closer to you two, as sad as that is."

"Thanks," Mackie said.

"What's the deal at LADYS633?" she asked Mackie.

"What do you mean?"

"I tried to check our gear, but all the codes have been changed. Same with the reactor."

"Oneesan sealed it all up. I'm not even sure where half the stuff is any longer."

"I wonder if the Typhoon II is lonely?" Priss said softly.

"What?" Nene asked, followed closely by Mackie.

"The stupid thing grew on me," Priss snapped.

"She has a heart," Nene said, feigning shock.

"And emotions too," Mackie added.

"My world is coming to the end," Nene said theatrically.

"I'll end you," Priss said, grabbing Nene in a headlock.

"Leave me alone you gorilla!" Nene said, but her laughing spoiled the insult.

"I'd spank her for that," Mackie suggested.

"You would want to see that you little sukebe(pervert)," Priss said.

* * *

_"Annoying Things One has sent someone a poem (or a reply to a poem) and, after the messenger has left, thinks of a couple of words that ought to be changed"  
_-**Sei Shonagon**

I'd like to once more thank Jeanne Hedge, Suika Waltz and Bert Van Vliet for their help in proofing this work, in whole or in part. While we managed to get most of the errors some still remained, which is completely my fault.  
I hope such errors have not bothered you greatly to the point of making the story less enjoyable.

If you have enjoyed this story you may wish to read Fred Herriot's **Illusions** series. **Illusions** is a sequel and retelling of the original No Armour Against Fate with aspects from Neo No Armour Against Fate worked into later parts.


End file.
